Headliner
by KWillows
Summary: The secret's out! Sara has a secret and now the whole lab knows. What's her explanation?
1. Chapter 1

**Headliner**

Chapter One

The noise level at the Las Vegas Crime Lab was resonating at a dull roar. It was a slow day on the job. A six-car pileup and a pawn shop robbery were not enough to hold the attention of more than a few criminalists. Nick strolled through the halls, hands in his pockets, whistling the tune of a country song. He entered the lobby with a big smile on his face. Judy, the receptionist, was waving him over with her fingers. He loved the sight of this little woman. She was so tiny. He remembered when his youngest sister was that short. It was so long ago. He rested his elbows on the beige counter.

"Here are your messages, Mr. Stokes," she said beaming at him.

He took them from her hand. "Thanks, Judy, and call me Nick."

"Of course, Mr. Stokes."

He laughed and turned to walk off. He felt a slight tap on his shoulder. Looking over it, he saw a young girl, a teenager by the looks of her. She was tall, about five-foot-seven if he had to guess. She had dark brown hair that hung just below her shoulders. She wore a hip-length green t-shirt and faded jeans. She flashed a smile and he was sure it would light up a room. "What can I do for you?" he asked.

She relaxed her arm. "I'm here to see Sara Sidle, please."

"I'm sorry, she's not in right now."

"Okay, I'll wait." She started off toward a chair in the lobby. He took her by the arm.

"Who are you anyway?"

"I'm Alexis, Lexi actually."

Nick tilted his head. "Are you related to Sara?"

"You don't know who I am?" she asked, clearly confused.

"Cousin? Sister? Niece?" She shook her head at each one. "You don't look old enough to be her aunt. What's left?"

She wrinkled her nose. "You really don't know who I am?"

"Sorry, I don't. Should I?"

Her eyes searched the room. "I would think so. I know who you are. Why wouldn't you know about me? I mean, we've never met, but I assumed you all knew who I was." After seeing Nick's lack of realization she added, "My name is Alexis Sidle. I'm Sara's daughter."

At this he burst out laughing. "Cute. Who paid you to come in here and say that? Sara, have a daughter? That's the craziest thing I've heard and in this business, you hear lots of crazy things."

She looked like she was about to cry. "You really don't know me. I can't believe she never told you. You didn't even know I existed. I'm really sorry to have bothered you, Mr. Stokes; I shouldn't have come. Please don't tell my mother I was here." With that she bolted to the door.

Nick watched as the sliding doors shut. _A daughter?_ That was absurd. He'd known Sara for what, six years? She'd never mentioned a daughter. The girl must've been lying. Then again, she'd seemed so shocked at the fact he didn't know her. He almost believed her. Almost. He heard the snapping of heels on the tile and saw Catherine come down the way with a partly eaten apple in her hand. He called out to her. "Hey, Cath! Would you say that you know a lot about Sara?"

She stopped, puzzled by the strange question. "I don't know everything, but I'd say I know the basics. We've worked together for awhile now."

"So you'd know if she was married."

"Trust me, Nick, she's not married."

"Okay, how about if she has a kid."

"Where is this coming from?" she questioned.

He exhaled slowly. "A few minutes ago, this girl taps on my shoulder. She asks for Sara. I tell her she's not here and she starts spewing some story about how she's Sara's daughter."

Catherine laughed. "Nick, April Fool's Day was a month ago."

"Catherine, I'm serious. She was appalled that I didn't know who she was. She stormed out of here and said not to mention to Sara that she came in. At first I thought she was some psycho looking for attention, but now I'm not so sure."

She sobered up. "Alright then, there's only one way to figure this out. If Sara had a kid and told anyone about it, one person's sure to know."

She looked at Nick and simultaneously they said, "Greg."

Nick rushed to the break room. Greg was brewing up some of his signature coffee. Nick was distracted for a moment by the aroma. Catherine came up behind him and gave him a shove. "Greg, has Sara told you anything big lately?"

The young man turned around to face his colleagues. "Like what? That she's madly in love with me and would give anything to spend one night with me?"

"Not exactly what we're going for, Greg," Catherine said.

"Then what do you mean? I have not yet mastered the art of mind reading."

"Has she ever told you about a girl named Alexis?" Nick asked.

Greg scrunched up his face. "Nope. No Alexis has ever been mentioned. Does she have any friends outside the lab? I didn't think so."

"Lexi isn't a friend, Greg; she's Sara's daughter."

Greg dropped his coffee mug. It hit the ground shattering, sending scalding liquid onto his pant leg. He jumped up and down. "Hot! Hot coffee!" Once it had cooled down, he sat in a chair. "Sara's got a kid? Weird."

"No kidding," responded Nick. Just then, Warrick strolled in, looking beat.

"What's with the party?" he inquired.

"Oh we're just talking about Sara's mysterious daughter," Greg piped.

Warrick froze. "Sara has a daughter. Are you kidding me?"

All three shook their heads. Then Catherine spoke. "Well, we're not entirely sure. It could've been a large prank, but Nick thinks she's real. I guess we'll just have to confront Sara and ask her."

"Ask her what?" a voice from the back said. The four people stood still as a statue. How do you ask a woman about a child no one knew anything about? "Hey, Sara, have any kids lately?" Strangely enough, that didn't seem like the best way to go. Greg's eyes began to twinkle. This usually meant he was ready to spill the beans. Nick saw it and grabbed Sara by the shoulder. He led her out of the room.

"So, Sara, someone came by looking for you today."

"Really? Who was it?" She smiled up at him.

"Oh, I don't really know. It was the first time I'd seen her. She really knew you though. Maybe I can describe her and you can tell me who she is."

Sara chuckled, "Okay, Nick, describe away."

"Well, she's about yay high," he said, pointing to her eyebrow, "and has shoulder-length brown hair. She's also got about the deepest brown eyes I've ever seen. Approximately sixteen-years-old, if I'm right."

Sara felt a lump forming in her throat.

"She calls herself Alexis, and, oh yeah, I've left out the most important detail: She says she's your daughter."

Sara bit her lip and faced him square on. "You've met Lexi?"

* * *

**A/N**: What did you think? There's definitely more to come. Feedback is greatly appreciated. :) 


	2. Chapter 2

**A/N: **Thanks to: PandorasHollow, nickysbabygirl, AnMaDeRoNi, jordanx3, MartinaCruz, Rissa545, lovestoact, icklebitodd, and Space-Case7029 for the reviews on the first chapter. I didn't expect it to be such a hit. Thanks again. And now for chapter two…

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 2

Sara thought Nick would faint. "Are you okay?" she asked him.

"Yeah, I'm just a little stunned that's all."

"Did you find out what she wanted?"

"Sorry, I was too busy doubting her. She was really upset you hadn't told us about her. Why did you do that?"

She shrugged. "I don't know."

Greg came bursting down the hallway. "Sara! Is the little squirt yours?"

"Yes she is, Greg, and don't call her a squirt."

"Sara Sidle is a mother. That's something I never thought I'd say," mentioned Warrick, "How old is she?"

"Sixteen as of last month," Sara responded.

"Goodness, that's older than Lindsey," exclaimed Catherine.

"Listen, if what Nick says is true, then I'm going to have one very unhappy kid when I get home. I'll see you all tomorrow."

They waved good-bye and headed to the locker room. "Sara and kids just don't seem like they'd fit," said Warrick.

"She did fine a few years ago with a victim, remember? She played it out that she didn't have a clue quite nicely, though. I wonder why the act," Catherine stated.

* * *

Sara arrived home to a rather unpleasant reception. Through the walls she could hear music booming. She sat her purse on the counter, throwing her keys into the leaf-shaped dish, and walked to her daughter's door. She pounded on it three times. "Noise level, Alexis!"

The volume went down and she moved to the kitchen. A few moments later, the walls were shaking again. She yanked open the door. "Okay, kiddo, in the living room, now!"

The brunette stomped past her mother and flung down on the couch. "I don't know what the problem is; I have nothing to say to you!" she shouted.

Sara sat on a chair opposite the couch. "Then you're going to listen. I'm sorry you're upset, but I did what I did for a reason."

Alexis scoffed. "Oh yeah, what would that be?"

Sara snapped up. "You are sixteen-years-old; I do not have to defend my actions to you." The girl rolled her eyes. "Alright, Lexi, get in your room and stay there until your attitude goes away."

She glared at her mother. Sara grimaced when she heard the door slam. "If I had a dollar for every time you did that!" she yelled.

"You'd have about ten bucks!" Lexi hollered back.

Sara retired to her room and flopped on the bed. She sunk in the blankets and sighed. Lexi was right; they hardly ever fought. In that Sara was a single parent, they had a special bond. She closed her eyes. By not telling the lab about Alexis, she had put a serious sprain in several relationships.

Lexi covered her head with a pillow. She felt tears welling in her eyes. Why had her mother hid her from her friends? Did she have regrets about having a child? Sara always said she didn't, but now Lexi wasn't so sure. She stayed in her room for a long time. It was Saturday and she didn't have school. Her stomach rumbled. Amidst all her arguing she had forgotten breakfast. The center of the house was empty. Mom must still be sleeping, she thought. The fridge was nearly barren. Luckily a box of pancake mix sat on the pantry shelf.

Sara scurried out of her room when Lexi was placing the first batch on a plate. "That smells wonderful," she said and sniffed the air.

"I hope they taste good as well. It's all we have. Did you sleep alright?"

"Fairly well. It's Saturday; didn't you have any plans?"

"Courtney wanted to go shopping, but I said I had other things to do."

"Like what?" Sara inquired.

"I wanted to make sure we were okay," she said.

Sara walked over and wrapped her arms around her daughter. We're just fine, baby." She planted a kiss on Lexi's forehead. "You know what? Why don't you come to work with me today? I know it won't completely make it up to you, but it's a start."

The girl lit up. "I'd love that! I'm going to get ready!"

"We don't leave for three more hours," she shouted down the hall. That kid of mine, she thought, is sure something.

When they entered the lab three-and-a-half hours later, Sara proceeded to tell every person on staff who the girl with her was. By the time they reached the break room, she was getting nervous. Her toughest critics in this situation would be the grave shift.

Catherine knew each of them had to hold off passing judgment, at least while Lexi was around. She thought that the girl probably felt betrayed by her mother and didn't need them to make it any worse. She smiled and gladly took the teen's hand when it was her turn. "Are you hanging out for awhile?" she asked.

Alexis turned to face her mom. "Yeah she is. I thought it was a good idea."

Greg had just poured Lexi a cup of coffee when Grissom walked in. She took one drink and spit it back into the mug. "No offense," she said, "but that's gross." Greg pretended he'd been shot and dropped to the floor.

"So not everyone likes your coffee, Greg, grow up," said Grissom.

Lexi stared at him. So this was Gil Grissom. This was the boss who knew more about insects than anyone on the planet.

He glanced her direction. "Who are you?"

Sara started to speak but Lexi answered first. "My name is Alexis. I belong to Sara."

Sara looked guiltily at her boss and raised a hand. Grissom looked confounded. "What she means by that is she's my daughter." Grissom didn't say a word. He just grabbed some coffee, tipped his head to the gang, and left.

"How should I react to that?" Lexi questioned.

"He doesn't mean anything by it. That's just who he is," Catherine stated.

The night dragged on, slightly less eventful. Greg had set up a stereo and wasted no time in showing Lexi all of his favorite music. Warrick was surprised when it didn't give her an intense headache. Sara could tell that her daughter truly enjoyed this group of people. Alexis felt like she had known them all her life. She had, of course, been told endless tales about them. A very large part of her wished they'd been given the same courtesy. Greg wanted to know everything about her.

"When is your birthday?"

"April 23rd."

"What is your full name?"

"Alexis Nicole Sidle."

"Who is your father?"

She sighed. "I don't know."

"You don't know? What do you mean you don't know?"

She focused on his hair as she explained. It was nice and floppy. "My mom never told me his name. She's never really talked about him at all, actually. I'm not resentful for it. She says she just didn't want me getting hurt. I can understand that."

"So he was a jerk?"

"Greg, quit grilling the girl," Warrick said.

She shook her head fiercely. "No, she says he was a complete gentleman."

"And yet she didn't want you getting hurt?"

"That's the mystery of it all."

* * *

Grissom had paired Sara and Catherine together in hopes they'd push each other's buttons. Sara suddenly admitting she had a kid was too much to take in. He hoped she'd give an explanation as to the secrecy, but he wasn't holding his breath.

Catherine pulled out of a Starbucks. Sara sat beside her sipping on a mocha. Catherine drummed her fingers on the steering wheel.

"Cath, is something bothering you?"

"No, I was just thinking." She paused for a moment. "Sara, I know why you didn't tell anyone about Lexi."

"You do?"

"Yeah." She drove on in silence and Sara was relieved that her co-worker had dropped the subject. They stopped at an intersection. Catherine looked at her as she was sipping her drink and said, "So when are you going to tell Nick he's a daddy?"

Sara sucked in air, taking coffee with it. She started choking and her eyes turned red.

* * *

**A/N2: **What did you think? Let me know. Thanks much. 


	3. Chapter 3

**A/N: **Another shout out to my reviewers: NickGilGreggonumber1fan, lovestoact, Sara Duquesne, Jayme Beth, Jennie, nickysbabygirl, 38039, dark-girl-faith-sidle, AnMaDeRoNi, lola laflaunda, Isabell89, Rissa545, and icklebitodd. You guys are the best. This is for you…and me…but mostly for you.

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 3

"Catherine Willows, it's a good thing you're a C.S.I. That way, when I keel over, they don't have to send anyone extra to process the scene," Sara said between breaths.

Catherine reached in the center console and lifted out a napkin. "Did you think you were more mysterious than that?"

Sara shook her head. "What on earth makes you think she's Nick's kid?"

"Come on, Sara. She looks just like him. You can't tell me you don't look into her eyes and see him staring back at you."

Sara took another sip of her coffee. "Is it really that obvious?"

"To me? Yes. You do have to remember, though, that I'm a mother. We have special intuition as I'm sure you know."

She nodded. "Don't tell anyone, okay. I want to tell him before anyone else knows."

"You got it. Sara, how did this happen?"

"I was in college at Harvard and I took a little vacation. A friend of mine had told me Texas was a nice place to visit, so I did. I was just walking down the street when this man tried to come on to me. I told him to get lost, but he didn't leave. I took off running. He followed me of course. Up ahead I saw a guy walking. He seemed normal enough. I got to his side all out of breath. He asked me what was wrong and I told him about the guy. He agreed to pretend he was my boyfriend to get this guy to leave me alone. He took my arm and we walked through all of these back roads. It was an hour before we were convinced we'd lost him. I thanked the man for all his trouble and he offered to buy me dinner. Told me his name was Nick. I agreed. When we were finished, I got all ready to go to my hotel room, but he wouldn't let me go alone, so we walked together. We got to the door and he kissed me. You can guess what happened next."

Catherine laughed. "Yes, that I can. Go on."

She took a deep breath and another drink. "I woke up in the morning and he was gone. There was a note on the pillow next to me. It had a phone number on it and an invitation to call him if I ever needed anything."

"Don't you think having his kid constitutes as 'anything'?"

"You have to understand this, Catherine. I was twenty-one-years-old. I really didn't know him. I didn't want to risk telling him about the baby and having him run off. I don't think I could've handled it."

"You know he wouldn't have left you."

"I know that now, but I didn't know it then. _A_nyway, I figured I could just go on with my life. I finished school and Alexis and I moved to California. We stayed there for almost ten years. Everything was fine. Then Holly Gribbs got shot and Grissom called me here. As soon as I saw Nick, I knew it was him. You never forget the father of your child."

Catherine nodded. "No kidding. Why didn't you tell him then?"

"He didn't remember me. What should I have said? Hey, remember me? We slept together one time ten years ago. Guess what? I had a kid! It's yours. Somehow I don't think that would've gone over very well. Plus, I still didn't know him very well. I was hesitant to say anything. It wasn't just me anymore. I had a living breathing ten-year-old who would've been heartbroken to find out she had a father who just didn't want her."

"Nick wouldn't have done that."

"I _know _Catherine, but I didn't know then."

"That's all fine and dandy, Sara, but you've had six years to tell the man he has a kid."

"I didn't know how to do it. We were friends; I didn't want to ruin that by suddenly dropping a kid in his lap."

"All this time and no one knew you had a kid."

"Actually," Sara said, "there is one other person who knew."

"Who?"

"Lindsey."

"My Lindsey?"

"She called my house one day looking for you and I wasn't the one who answered the phone. I swore her to secrecy. As far as I know, she and Lexi have kept in touch."

"I never expected that."

"Sorry."

"Sooner or later Nick's going to pick up on the resemblance between him and Alexis. Either that or Greg will and we all know how well he can keep his mouth shut."

"I'm going to tell him, Catherine." In her head she added _eventually.

* * *

_

They returned to the lab where Greg was still badgering Lexi.

"What's your favorite color?"

"Blue."

"What's your favorite animal?"

"Dog."

"Who is your best friend?"

"Courtney."

"Has your mother ever been married?"

This time the voice that answered wasn't Alexis. "No." It was Sara. "Come on, Lex, it's time to go. Say good-bye to Greg."

"Bye, Greg."

"Bye, Lexi. See you later."

"How was your day?" Sara asked.

"Let's just say if I ever commit a crime and need to give short answers, I've had all the practice. Is Greg always like that?"

"No, sometimes he dresses up in funny costumes."

"That'll be something to see."

"You bet."

* * *

The next weekend brought on another visit to the lab for Lexi. She grabbed every chance she got. She had missed out on six years of knowing these people and wanted to get every second back. Sara still hadn't mentioned to Nick the fact that he was related to the girl. She wasn't sure how to start up that conversation.

She sat at a table watching the others interact with her daughter. Greg wasn't speaking, but kept looking from Alexis to Nick over and over. Sara thought she'd chew right through the wood. The wheels were turning in his brain and that couldn't lead to anything good.

Sara had just picked up trace results from Hodges when Greg got a hold of her. "You know, Sara, Lexi has very unique eyes. I would call them Hershey chocolate brown. Nice and rich. Maybe even dark chocolate. Did you ever notice that?"

"Sure, Greg. My daughter has candy bar eyes. Is this all you wanted?"

"Oh, no. It's curious that her middle name is Nicole."

She stopped short. "What are you getting at, Greg?"

"See, both of these things are very much in common with a certain friend of ours. You may have heard of him. He goes by the name of Nick Stokes. His eyes are quite chocolatey also."

"Don't you dare tell him that you think that!"

"So he is her dad."

She couldn't hide it from him any longer. "Yes, Greg, he is. I haven't told him yet, so you have to swear to me you won't say anything. I mean it, Greg."

He crossed his heart with his finger. "I swear."

As it happened, Greg was not very good at keeping his secret. He found Nick glancing over a DNA printout. "Nick, I have a very important question for you."

"Shoot," the man said.

"Okay, has anyone ever told you that you have Hershey candy bar eyes?"Nick stared at Greg like he had three heads. They heard Sara's voice down the hall. Greg moved to the door. "Nick, we never had this conversation okay? Don't tell her I asked you this!" He ran out.

"What was that all about?" Sara asked.

"Oh he just asked me if anyone had ever told me my eyes were like candy bars. And then he said not to tell you."

"Greg!" she yelled and dashed out. Nick shook his head and laughed.

By the end of the day, every one of the night shift members knew that Nick was Alexis's father. Every person that is, except Grissom and Nick. Sara figured she had no choice but to tell him today. Greg couldn't keep it in any longer. He'd already told Warrick. No, she needed to do it right away. Everyone was in the break room. Greg was forcing Lexi to drink more of his coffee, hoping she'd change her mind. "Nick, can I speak to you for a moment?"

With a puzzled look on his face, he followed her out into the hallway. No one was around so she decided to spill. "Look, I have something really important I have to tell you. You may not believe me, but I swear it's true."

He touched her shoulder. "Sara, what's wrong?"

"Nothing's wrong. I just have something to tell you that I should have many years ago. Nick," she squeezed her eyes shut, "Nick, you are Alexis's father." She heard a thud.

He was flat on the ground.


	4. Chapter 4

**A/N: **To all of my reviewers: Thanks so much. I enjoyed reading all of them. That's enough rambling from me. Now on with the story…

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 4

Nick opened his eyes and Sara held out her hand. He took it and pulled himself up. He was searching her face for any sign that she was joking. He found none.

"Sixteen years ago you were in Texas and a girl ran up to you claiming some guy was chasing her. You agreed to help her. Help led to dinner, which lead to more. You left her that morning with nothing but your phone number on a note. She didn't call you when she found out she was pregnant because she didn't know how you'd react and she didn't want to be disappointed. She didn't tell you ten years later when she showed up where you worked because you didn't remember her and she still didn't know you very well. She could've told you any time after that, but she just kept putting it off. She's really sorry. She knows she could've trusted you, but she didn't realize it then. I'm really sorry, Nick."

He didn't say a word. He walked back into the break room and looked at Greg. "You knew, didn't you? You knew I was her father. That's why you asked me the ridiculous question about my eyes, isn't it?" Greg nodded.

Sara raised a finger. It was too late. Lexi had turned stone-like. This was not the way Sara had planned on telling her daughter about her father. No, she had a much more sophisticated plan in mind. It just flew out the window, she thought. Catherine and Warrick were staring down at their shoes. Nick turned to them.

"You both knew too, didn't you? Why am I the last one to know that I fathered a child?"

Alexis stood up. "Technically, you're not," she whispered. He froze. She darted from the room. From the look on Sara's face, he knew what he'd done. His daughter had been in the loop no more than he had been.

_His daughter._ That had a strange ring to it. He'd always wanted to have kids, but he always pictured himself watching them grow up. He'd missed a lot of years with this one. Anger and resentment continued to build inside of him. How could she not have told him? There had been any number of chances to tell him, but no, she had chosen to keep the girl hidden. After one last look at Sara, he turned on his heels and walked out the door.

Nick felt the eyes of everyone in the lab on his back. Surely they had heard him yelling. It took all of his strength not to curse them. He continued on out of the building. Glancing around, he saw Lexi perched on the curb with her head in her hands. His insides melted. He stepped over and sat down next to her. "Hey," he said.

She looked up. "Hi, Nick."

"What are you doing out here?"

"I couldn't stand to be in there anymore, so I left. I don't have a car, so I didn't get very far. I guess I just have to wait until she comes out and takes me home." Her eyes were puffy.

"Tell you what, I don't really feel like going back there either, so I'll drive you home.

She stood up. "Thanks, I'd like that a lot. Do you know where it is?"

"Yeah."

"So she told you that. I suppose that's better than nothing."

Sara came out the door just as they were pulling from the parking lot. She sighed and returned to the break room. _I better give them more of a head start, _she thought. Each area of the building had silenced as she walked by. She ignored it as best she could. Greg was the quietest she had ever seen him. Apparently Nick's outburst had left him feeling terrible. Sara couldn't blame him; she felt terrible too. Catherine threw a look of sympathy her way. Warrick just shrugged and excused himself. Sara's insides were in turmoil. Her actions had not only hurt Nick and Lexi, but everyone else as well. It was definitely not a gold star moment.

When she threw her keys in that leaf dish a few hours later, she heard the familiar sound of music blaring. Sara could pick out a few words. Lexi was listening to a song about going far away to where no one knew who she was. _A few weeks ago she had that right here._ Sara was worn down. She crossed the floor to her bedroom and performed her usual ritual of flopping on the bed.

She awoke that afternoon to the smell of pancakes. This time, she found nothing but two pancakes on a plate and a note posted on the fridge. It was short and to the point. Alexis had gone out with friends. The red light on her phone was blinking.

"You have one new message: Hey Sara, it's Nick. We really need to talk. Call me back, okay? We've got some things to figure out."

She grabbed the receiver and punched in his number.

"Stokes."

Sara opened her mouth, but no words came out. She didn't know how to initiate a conversation with him anymore.

"Sara, is that you? Are you there?"

"Yes," she breathed, "I'm here."

"Good. Meet me at the café in twenty minutes, okay?"

She nodded and then remembered they were on the phone. "Yes, that's fine." She replaced the receiver.

She heard a key turn in the lock. Lexi entered, shortly followed by Courtney. Mother and daughter met eyes for a moment, but Lexi broke the connection and went to her room.

Sara was completely numb as she pulled open the door to the restaurant. She saw Nick and shuffled to his table. "Sara, are you okay?"

"What? Oh, yes, I'm fine."

They ordered and continued to sit without speaking. Nick looked at her. She had a death grip on her napkin. "Are you sure you're okay?"

She nodded. Her gaze rose up and met his. She could feel moisture forming in the corners of her eyes. She shook her head. "No, I'm not. Everything's falling to pieces. My daughter won't talk to me, let alone be in the same room with me, my friends all think I'm crazy, and I'm seriously rethinking every choice I've ever made for the past six years."

Nick moved to the other side of the booth. "Sara, listen, you've got to stop beating yourself up. I was ready to explode yesterday, but I got home after dropping Lexi off and thought. Sara, I understand why you did what you did. I wish you had told me, but I can understand why you didn't. I wanted to tell you that you don't have to hide her from me anymore. I want to be her father. I've always been one to take responsibility for my actions, and I don't want to stop now. You and me, we'll figure something out. Let me be her dad, okay?"

Now she was really crying. She smiled through her tears and gave a quick nod.

* * *

Lexi sat on her bed with a photo album on her lap. Courtney was on a chair. "Every one of these pictures of the last six years doesn't feel real to me anymore," Lexi said, "It all feels like a lie."

"What are you talking about? Of course it's real."

"How many times did I lie awake at night wishing I knew who my father was? How many times did I dream that he'd come find us? I've lost count. I thought my mom didn't know where he was. I thought maybe he was dead. Now I learn that he's been here the whole time. She's spent every day for six years with my father and told me nothing."

"That doesn't mean your life was a lie. You know who he is now, don't you? Why don't you just put the past behind you and go on with your life? Hating your mother isn't going to change anything."

"I don't hate her."

"You're doing a real good job of showing that," Courtney pointed out.

"I don't hate her, Courtney. She's just not my favorite person. She's not even the one that told me he was my father, you know. Nick did."

"So what? You know now, so get over it. Think about this: Lindsey had a father, right? She knew him for all of ten years. Then he died. She doesn't get any more chances to know him. So you've missed out on sixteen years, so what? You've been given a shot to get to know your dad. Use it well."

"You remembered that about Lindsey?"

"No one could forget anything you say. Especially if it has anything to do with where your mom works. You've always thought she was a superhero or something."

"Yeah, well that's changing."

"Lexi, I love you to death, but you're driving me crazy. I'm going to leave now. Call me when you figure this out, okay?" Courtney exited the room.

Sara returned home two hours later. She heard music, but the mood was off. It was down lower than normal and the songs were slow and sad. Sara knocked on the door. She smiled when it opened. "Hey, kiddo, how's it going?"

Alexis didn't say a word, but gave her mother a large hug. "Now that's unexpected," Sara said, "Come on, get ready and you can come to work with me."

* * *

**A/N2: **I know it's short, but please forgive me. I wanted to give you all something today. Of course there's more to come. Let me know what you thought :) 


	5. Chapter 5

**Headliner**

Chapter 5

Sara carried the last of the plastic bags into the house. She plopped them down on the floor next to the multitude of containers. "There," she said and wiped the sweat from her brow, "that's the end of them."

"Thanks, Sara. I couldn't have done it without you," said Nick.

"Sure you could have; it just would've taken a lot longer." She grinned. "You know, Nick, Lexi has most of this stuff at my house. All she had to do was pack it up and bring it here."

"Nah, I don't want her to have to feel like she's moving every other week. She should have stuff at both places. It'll be easier for her."

"You're going to have one heck of a time trying to get this all set up. You bought enough for five kids."

"I'll just wait until she gets here and let her do it." Sara raised an eyebrow. "Or I'll help her with it," he corrected.

Sara pulled a key ring out of her pocket. "I've got to be going. Lexi's friend should be dropping her by here shortly. Make sure she does her homework. Oh, and you should know that she's not a vegetarian, but she doesn't really like meat. She doesn't drink much soda and she rarely watches television. She loves blasting music, so you should probably get some earplugs." Nick held up his hand.

"Relax, Sara, she's not two. She can speak for herself."

"I know, I just," he interrupted her.

"We'll be fine. I'm a big boy now. Go."

She punched him in the shoulder. "I'll see you tomorrow. Give my love to Lexi, okay?"

"You got it." He showed her out the door and then turned to face his living room. The floor was barely visible beneath the sacks. He grabbed four at a time and carried them to the spare bedroom that was now becoming his daughter's room. His sports posters were still on the wall. Maybe she'd like to leave them up. He doubted it.

The doorbell rang in the middle of baggage transportation. He hopped over a bedspread and grabbed the knob. A girl with dark brown hair stared up at him. "Hey, Lexi, come on in."

She gave him a quick hug and glanced around the room. "What is all this stuff?"

"It's for you."

"All of it?"

"Yeah."

She saw a pile on the couch. "Why did you get me six different bed sets?"

"I wasn't sure what you liked so I got all the ones your mom said were your style. I figured you could pick and then I'd just take the others back."

"You didn't have to do this."

"Sure I did. You're my kid and that means you get the best. Help me take this stuff to your room."

They spent the day eating popcorn and arranging her room. The posters of various football and baseball teams came off the wall. Photos of musicians and movie stars went in their places. When they had finished, Nick called the lab to check in and Lexi began to explore the house. He found her a few minutes later looking at pictures on the mantelpiece. He stayed in the doorway and watched her. She ran her fingers over the wooden frames. She stared straight-faced at the people. She removed a photo of a whole group of people in a field and sat on the couch. "So this is your family?" she asked.

He nodded and joined her. "They're your family too."

She didn't respond to that comment, but veered around the subject. "Where was this taken?"

"A field behind my parents' house. That was a few years ago around Thanksgiving. Stokes Family Football."

"It sounds like fun."

"It is," he agreed, "You know what? I've got an idea. When do you get out of school?"

She rested the picture on her lap. "Next week, why?"

"Would you like to go to Texas with me for a week or two this summer? You could meet the other half of your family."

Lexi remained quiet for a moment. "Sure, that sounds good to me."

"It's settled then. I'll have to ask your mom, but I'm sure she'll say yes."

* * *

Sara strolled in and sat around a table. Grissom would be there any minute with assignments. She figured they'd be busy since Nick had the night off.

"No Lexi tonight?" Warrick asked.

"Nope. She's at Nick's getting settled."

"Are you sure that's a good idea?" said Greg.

"Why wouldn't it be?" Sara asked, confused.

"She hardly knows the guy."

"So? I know the guy. He wants to be her father. I'm not going to stop him."

Greg opened his mouth to retaliate, but Catherine shot him a look that stopped him in his tracks.

"I think it's good that Lexi is spending time with her father. It's good for Nick too. He needed a change of pace," she said.

"Thanks, Catherine."

At that, Grissom came in and the group got down to business.

* * *

"I'm going to run to the store in a few minutes. You want anything?" Nick asked Alexis through a mouthful of salad.

"Can I go with you?" she responded.

"I don't see why not."

"I've always loved these cars," she said as they exited his Denali in the store parking lot.

"Really, why is that?"

"Probably because my mom drives one. When I was little I used to think she was a superhero. The car was her special vehicle."

"Like the Batmobile."

"Exactly. And I always wanted to be just like her."

"Do you still?"

"I don't want to be a C.S.I. if that's what you mean."

"Why not?"

"Science isn't really my thing."

They walked up to the sidewalk and Lexi grabbed a cart. Nick waved to the doorman and wrapped his arm around her shoulder. "What are we here for?" she asked.

"Food. Now that I've got more than just myself to feed, we need to get something more than TV dinners and steak."

"I don't really like steak."

"Your mom mentioned you weren't a big meat eater."

"It's true."

* * *

Sara entered her home early the next morning. The silence was deafening. Every noiseless step she took reminded her that she was alone. She threw a rice bowl into the microwave and poured a glass of wine. She settled herself down in front of the television and turned on her favorite crime show. After fifteen minutes she shut it off. She set her lonely dishes into the sink. She crawled into bed and closed her eyes.

Sleep would not come. She switched positions several times before giving up. At last she climbed out of bed and sauntered down the hall. She pulled open Lexi's door and frowned at the fact that it was empty. Of course there were objects everywhere. It was a completely full room. It was just missing one thing: Lexi. She continued to the stereo and put in one of Lexi's favorite CDs. She turned up the volume so the house rattled and moseyed back to her room. This time, slumber came much more easily.

She awoke later than usual to a stale-smelling house. Sara got ready extra fast and was out the door in under two hours. She was at the lab forty-five minutes before the start of shift. As she made her way to the locker room she saw she wasn't alone. "Nick what are you doing here so early?" He looked at her. His eyes were half closed and had deep bags under them. "You look terrible," she said.

"Thanks Sara. Good evening to you too."

"Let me rephrase that. You look tired."

"You were right, Sara."

"About what?"

"That kid of yours sure loves to blast music."

"Oh, Nick, why didn't you just ask her to turn it down?"

"I didn't want to overstep my boundaries," he said.

"Nick, you're her father. You have every right to be in control of your house."

"Uh huh," he yawned, "Oh yeah, Sara, when she's out of school can I take her to Texas for a couple of weeks?"

"Why on earth would you want to do that?" she asked.

"My family lives down there, you know. She has a right to meet them."

"Oh, yeah, she does. Sure. If she wants to." Nick couldn't help but notice she didn't sound all that convinced.

"Sara, what's wrong?"

"Nothing, Nick. Go ahead, take her to Texas, but let me know when you're going to do it so I can get her some stuff."

"I can do it."

"No, Nick, I need to do this."

Nick was taken aback by the curtness of her remarks. She was definitely not happy about the Texas trip. Why didn't she tell him what was wrong; didn't she trust him?

* * *

**A/N**: More later, I promise. Let me know what you thought. 


	6. Chapter 6

**A/N: **I cannot tell you how happy it makes me to open up my e-mail inbox and see all the alerts from reviews. It's great. You all are as in love with this story as I am. I love writing it just to hear what you are going to say. Moving on…

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 6

Little did Nick know, Lexi was also having her doubts about the trip. She was clutching the backpack on her lap so tight, she had white knuckles. Nick pressed down on the brake as they neared a red light and looked over at her. "Hey, what's wrong?"

"Oh, nothing. I've just never flown on a plane before and I'm not quite sure how it's going to be."

"You've never been on a plane?"

"No. When we moved to California, mom said we drove. When we moved to Vegas we drove. I haven't been out of the state since then."

"You haven't been out of the state in six years?"

"I don't know if you've noticed, but my mom never takes work off."

"Good point," said Nick.

She eased up a little on the bag. He took her by the hand twelve minutes later when they reached the airport. "You're going to be fine," he assured her.

She gripped his hand tight as the plane ascended into the sky. He gritted his teeth. She's got strength, he thought. Well, between me and Sara, why wouldn't she? He laughed and she glanced at him. "What's so funny?"

"Sorry, I was just thinking. We're through the worst of it, would you mind letting go of my hand now?"

"Oh, I'm sorry." She closed her eyes and took a deep breath. "I'm going to be fine. I'm going to be fine," she whispered. Nick grinned again. He had known her less than a month and was already head over heels in love with his daughter. "Dad?" she asked.

His eyes widened momentarily. She'd never called him that before. It felt good. It felt right. "Yeah, Sweetie?"

"I'm nervous."

"Why? My family is going to love you."

"How do you know that? What if they hate me? What if they hate my mother? I couldn't stand that."

He gaped at her. He'd never considered the fact that his parents might not approve of the way Sara dealt with the situation. _This must be what Sara was so worried about, _he thought and silently kicked himself. "Lexi, I promise you that they will be perfectly nice and respectful. And if they're not," he added, "we'll be out of there in a second. I've got your back." He made a mental note to call his parents as soon as he was alone for a moment and lay down the rules. There was no way he was going to betray Sara's trust and let her daughter get hurt. _Their daughter_, he reminded himself.

Nick placed a call to his father once Lexi excused herself about halfway through the flight. He'd told them before that he was flying in with his daughter. He'd explained the whole story, but never thought to warn them about not badmouthing anyone involved. Lexi returned right after he hung up. She couldn't help but notice he looked a little flustered. It must just be the plane, she thought.

* * *

They grabbed their luggage and headed towards a group of people. Recognition lit up Nick's face. It was his family. The two stopped just a few feet in front of them.

Although they said nothing, she knew. She knew they were judging her. She saw it in their eyes. _So this is the daughter Nick never knew. This is the girl that woman kept from us. I wonder how much she looks like her mother. How many bad seeds has she planted in her head?_ The questions were endless. She did her best to remain strong with her father at her side. She had called him Dad on the plane. At first he was shocked, but she saw just how much he loved to be called that. She'd have to make a point to do it more often.

Nick felt the questions as well. _How did he just sleep with a woman and never look back? How many other kids does he have? _He gave a quick nod to his family and they all began to walk out of the airport, whispering busily to one another. Nick lowered his voice so only Lexi could hear. "Lex, the first couple of hours are going to be the toughest, but we'll get through it." He squeezed her hand tightly. She gave him a faint grin.

The front of the airport was lined with cars. He did his best to refrain from laughing when Lexi noticed that at least half of them belonged to his family. He placed their suitcases in the trunk of his father's Durango. He opened the door and she slid across the back seat. He sat by her. As Nick's dad began to pull away, his mother turned around.

"Has Nick told you all about his family?" she said. Nick moved very quickly to stare out the window. She chuckled. "I thought not, so I had this made for you." She placed a leather-bound book on Lexi's lap. "That'll help you get acquainted with everyone before dinner tonight."

Lexi smiled and lifted the cover of the book. The front page held a photo of a man and a woman who Lexi recognized as Nick's parents. Nick took the opportunity to read her the descriptions. "Robert Stokes is a judge for the state of Texas. He married Jillian Martin 50 years ago. They have seven children. Jillian works as a District Attorney."

"Are you really a judge, sir?"

"As sure as the day I was born. And don't call me 'sir;' I'm your grandfather."

Nick flipped the page. "Leslie Hutchins is a doctor with a private practice. She's married to Keith Hutchins. The couple has four children. Dillon is twenty, Kaitlyn and Linley are sixteen, and Lacey is fourteen. Keith is an Austin police officer."

"So she's your sister?"

"The oldest one."

"Is Dillon married?"

Jillian laughed. "That boy can't seem to pick just one woman."

Nick and Lexi continued to rifle through the pages. She was trying very hard to soak in every last piece of information. She frowned when they reached Nick's page. "Nick Stokes is a crime scene investigator with the Las Vegas Crime Lab. He isn't married, but has one daughter. Alexis is sixteen," she read under her breath. No mention of Sara. Nick saw the disappointment in her eyes. _Strike one_, he thought.

The Durango pulled down a long dirt road at the head of an extending line of cars. Lexi voiced her concerns. "They're all coming here right now?" Nick patted her leg.

"You're going to be fine," he assured her, "I'm right here."

When the cars pulled to a stop, all hell seemed to break loose. Kids bounded from cars, shouting and throwing things. Dogs yapped and adults hollered at one another. Lexi was trying to soak everything in. A few feet away a whistle blew and the mayhem ceased. Judge Stokes simply pointed his index finger at the large white house and the group marched off.

Nick dropped is bags a few feet from the stairs. "It feels good to be home."

"I should sure hope so," said a woman.

Nick whirled around and grinned. The woman threw her arms around Nick. "My gosh, it's good to see you, Jamie." Lexi stepped back, but smacked her suitcase on the wall. The two turned at the noise. Nick took Lexi by the shoulder. "Jamie, this is my daughter Lexi. Lexi, this is Jamie."

They shook hands as Lexi began to speak. "Jamie Patterson is a painter. She married Don Patterson who is an architect. They have three kids. Luke is thirteen, Emma is twelve, and Peter is ten."

Jamie laughed. "You memorized that whole book, didn't you? There's no need to recite it to everyone. We'll all introduce ourselves at some point or another." She laughed again, but caught herself and reached around to the closet. "I almost forgot! This is from me, Don, and the kids."

Lexi held up a shirt. The front read 'Stokes Family Football.' The back was brightened by the number one and the word Stokes across the top. She threw Jamie a false smile, but luckily the woman had moved on. Lexi made a motion to continue, but was stopped by a hand on her back. It was a man; presumably one of Nick's many relatives.

It was going to be a long two weeks.

* * *

**A/N2: **Well, there you have it. Don't fret; there's more to come. You can count on it. Let me know what you thought. 


	7. Chapter 7

**A/N: **Okay, so I changed two things: 1) Nick's mom's name is now Jillian. 2) She's a district attorney. Someone told me that this was what the producers have told us. I wasn't originally going to correct it, but for some reason, being wrong just got to me. Thanks to Pau for the tips. You've saved me from being a fool forever. Let's continue with the story, shall we?

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 7

Sara sat the phone down for the tenth time in a row. She was seriously contemplating whether or not to call Lexi. Nick had given her his parents' phone number, but she hesitated to use it. She was probably not very high on the Stokes Family Love List right about now. Still, she was dying to know how Lexi was doing.

She got up and resolved to not touch a phone for the next hour. She doubted she'd make it. _Good thing I'm not a gambler. _Greg was lounging in the break room with his feet on the table when Sara entered, typing feverishly on a lap top.

"Greg, get off that computer. What would Grissom say if he knew you were doing this?"

"Fine, if you want me to stop talking to your daughter because Grissom would care, I'll do it."

"You're talking to Lexi?"

"In the flesh—well, over the net."

"Ask her how she's doing."

"I already did."

"And?"

"She says everything's fine. There was a bit of excitement yesterday, but Nick took care of it."

"What happened?"

"Apparently every member of the Stokes family took the liberty of giving her clothing emblazoned with 'Stokes' on the back. Nick, who thought this was blatantly disrespecting you, went out and bought her a shirt and had it say 'Sidle' on the back. She says she's worn it all day and it's driving them all silently crazy." He laughed and glanced back at the screen. Suddenly he shut the laptop.

"Did she say anything else?"

"Nope. Well, she misses you," Greg said, sucking in his breath.

"Alright, well we've got to get to work."

"I'm right behind you." She walked out of the room and Greg opened the computer back up. The truth was, she had written something more, however, it was written for Greg's eyes only.

"Nick said that I'm a Sidle and they're just going to have to deal with it. I decided, but I didn't tell him, that there's only one way I'm going to change my last name to Stokes…if my parents get married."

Greg powered down the lap top. Sara would be curious if he took too long. He grabbed a cup of coffee and headed out with a devilish grin on his face.

* * *

Nick stretched his arms out wide. He stared at the clock. It was ten thirty. He smiled as he realized that this was the first full night's sleep he had gotten where he was in the same house as Lexi. He knew, of course, that it was because she didn't feel comfortable blasting her tunes in his parents' house. He slipped on a t-shirt and made his way down the stairs to the kitchen. He was greeted by the sight of his sisters and mother. "Hey there, little sisters."

"Nicky! It's so good to have you home. I hear you've brought a visitor."

"What are you talking about, Hailey? You live in South Dakota. And yes, I brought my daughter."

"I hear she's the spitting image of you."

"Nah, she looks more like her mother." He took a swig of orange juice his mother had poured.

"Are you going to marry her mama?"

"No, Justine, I'm not. I'm not going to get married just because sixteen years ago I got someone pregnant. Sara's done fine without me. And it's a good thing Lexi is out with Katie and Ace, because you probably would've given her a coronary just then."

"Relax, Nicky; she's sixteen. She'd be fine. If you want my opinion on the subject."

"I love you mother, but I really don't want your opinion on the subject. It's between me, Sara, and Lexi, not me, Sara, Lexi, and the entire Stokes family. Now, if you'll excuse me, I'm going to call Ace and see how my daughter is doing. Keyword is 'my', by the way." He tipped his glass of orange juice towards them and exited.

"What do you want? I'm kind of busy."

"Hey, that's no way to talk to your Uncle Nick, Miss Ace."

"Oops. Sorry. I thought it was Mom. What's up?"

He cut right to the chase. "How's Lexi doing?"

"Pretty good. We're riding horses now. She was confused at first when I introduced myself as Ace. She couldn't remember an Ace in the book. Once I explained that I was Linley and Ace was a nickname, we got along fine."

"Is she good at riding?"

"She's okay. Katie's right next to her. Do you want me to go get her?"

"No, Ace, don't do that. Don't tell her I called either. Be here in time for lunch."

"You got it."

He hung up and smiled. He was glad Lexi had some kids her age to hang with. The only downside was that it meant he had more time to spend with his disapproving relatives. He didn't want to explain that he wasn't marrying Sara and that Lexi was Lexi Sidle anymore.

The girls returned just after noon. Lexi was wearing Levi jeans, a Las Vegas Crime Lab shirt, and cowboy boots that looked two sizes too small. He wrapped his arm around her neck. "You know what kiddo? After we go eat, I'm taking you shopping. We've got to get you boots that fit." She grinned at him. He was still convinced her smile could light up a room.

* * *

Sara clenched her jaw. She still hated the silence. The fact that her daughter was so far away without her made her crazy. It wasn't that she didn't trust Nick, he just wasn't her. She clicked on the computer. The screen lit up with a message: she had one new e-mail. It was from Nick. She opened the folder.

"Hey Sara, just some pictures of Lexi in Texas. I took her shopping too. Those Crime Lab shirts just weren't good riding clothes. See you in a week. –Nick"

Sara smiled when she saw her daughter glowing on the screen. She was in a variety of poses: on a horse, in a tree, against a wall. Sara saw one photo with Lexi in the middle of two brunette girls who she guessed were Nick's nieces. Lexi certainly looked like she was fitting in just fine. That scared Sara to death.

* * *

She placed the piece of clear tape against the locker. Catherine came up behind her. "It's nice to see you decorating. Isn't it so much easier to breathe now that you're not keeping this big secret?"

Sara sighed and put up another photo. "This huge wall has fallen down. It feels good. Of course there are other hurdles to get over, now." She sat on the bench. "It didn't used to be hard. When we lived in California everything was fine. Lexi didn't come to work with me because I didn't want to expose her to all of this, but they knew who she was. She drew pictures for them every now and then. We came to Vegas and that all changed. I was scared to my toes that someone would find out about her. Then I'd have to explain everything. I wasn't ready for that."

"From the look of those pictures," Catherine said pointing to a snapshot of Alexis in front of the courthouse, "she seems fine."

* * *

Lexi stood on the escalator as it rolled downward. Her eyes pierced the crowd as she searched for a familiar face. Over by baggage claim was a woman with brown hair. Lexi smiled. The escalator reached the floor and she raced through the groupings of people. She was in her mother's arms in a second.

Sara hugged her tighter than she thought possible. She kissed the top of her head. "I missed you. Did you have a good time?"

"Yeah. I think I got everyone's name down by the time we left. There are so many of them!"

"Where's Nick?"

Sara looked up and saw him a few feet away. She waved him over.

"I didn't want to intrude."

"Nonsense," Sara said, "Let's go, kiddo. Hey, Nick, you want to come over for a little while?"

Lexi grabbed her mother by the hand and started pulling her towards the exit. She needed to get home fast and get on the computer. She just had to talk to Greg.

* * *

**A/N2: **As always, there will be more. I've been slacking on my other story by writing this one, but I just can't help it; this one is just so dang good. Let me know what you thought. 


	8. Chapter 8

**Headliner**

Chapter 8

Sara and Nick sat on her couch with their feet up on the coffee table. Each one held a beer. A bowl of popcorn sat in between them. The television was on but it was muted.

"I don't know how I could've forgotten, Sara. It makes no sense," Nick was saying.

"Nick, don't beat yourself up; it was sixteen years ago."

"Still, a person generally remembers who they slept with." He took a swig of the brew.

"Unless they've done it a lot." She caught a look. "Not that you have. Do you remember anything about that night?"

"I'm starting to, now that I've actually tried."

Sara tipped her head back. "I had my first martini that night."

"Really?"

She nodded. "At the restaurant you were trying so hard to guess what kind of meal I would want. I was so impressed by your chivalry that I agreed with everything you said."

"What did I order you to eat?"

"A hamburger."

"Ah, jeez. I was an idiot. You're a vegetarian."

"I wasn't then." She laughed at his frustration.

"Oh, right, no dead pigs."

"Not yet."

"I remember telling you that you couldn't walk back the hotel by yourself."

"You said that you hadn't taken me to dinner so I could get killed an hour later."

Nick took another sip of his beer. "How was it?"

"How was what?"

"Being pregnant."

"I remember being upset with myself at first. I wondered how I could have been so stupid. Everything I'd ever learned flew out the window. There I was, twenty years old and pregnant. Not exactly the highlight of my life. I remember the first time, no, the second, that I was tempted to use the number you gave me. I was two months pregnant. I had rearranged my whole class schedule because I couldn't go in the morning. I had been cooking and felt the sudden urge to puke. I think my entire stomach was on the floor of that bathroom. I hadn't been able to make it to the toilet. So there I was, laying the floor of the bedroom with tears running down my face. I got up and pulled the note off the bulletin board. I dialed every number except the very last digit. I sat there for a minute with my finger stroking the button. Phones don't like to wait that long and it started to beep at me. I hung up, put your note back on the board, and climbed into bed. My roommate wasn't very happy to come home and find my stomach contents everywhere. She cleaned up, left a note on the pillow, and was gone the next morning. Said she couldn't handle a pregnant roommate."

"Were you ever tempted again?"

"Oh, sure. Plenty of times. If I had a hard day, or a hard night, or a hard something, I pulled that note off the board. I never got as far as the fifth digit though. By the time I was six months pregnant, the note was gone completely. I'd put it away. I had convinced myself I could do it alone."

"Tell me about her. What was Lexi like as a little kid?" Nick asked.

Sara placed the empty bottle down on the table. "She was perfect. I'll never forget it. One time, when she was about eight, she took this forensics book off the shelf and sat on the couch reading it for hours. She didn't understand it, but was so excited to tell me everything she'd learned."

"What was her first word?"

"Mama."

"And the second?"

"I really don't remember. I've got it written down somewhere. I recorded as much as I could."

"Did she ever ask about her father?"

"Sure. The first time was when she was five. A dad had taken his daughter to kindergarten and she wanted to know where hers was."

"And you told her?"

"That her daddy had to leave."

"So she spent the past sixteen years thinking I left her?" He was becoming agitated.

"No. She asked me again when she was seven. I told her that her dad was a perfect gentleman, but things just didn't work out. I made it very clear that you were not a bad person."

"Thank you for that."

"And I didn't even know you then." She got up to grab more drinks from the fridge.

"Sara, what are we going to do?"

"What do you mean?"

"This whole week on week off thing isn't working."

"Are you crazy? It's working just fine."

"No, it's not. I don't sleep at all. I don't sleep when she's with me because of the music; I don't sleep when she's not because she's not there."

"I know the feeling. I miss that kid every second she's not around."

"Sara?"

"Yeah, Nick?"

"You should move in with me. You and Lexi. I've got the room. That way we'll always be able to sleep."

Sara jumped off the couch. "Nick, do you have any idea what you're saying? Of course you don't; you're drunk."

"I'm not drunk, Sara; I only had one beer. I didn't ask you to marry me, I asked you to move in with me. We can be roommates, like you and that girl in college. That way Lexi's got both of us all the time."

"Nick, we can't move in with you."

"People do it all the time."

"Yeah, if they're in love or psychotic."

"Well, become one of those things and we'll be all set. We may not love each other, but we love Lexi. Isn't that enough?"

"Nick," she started to speak.

"Sara, you think I'm drunk. You think I'm out of my mind. I'm going to go to sleep right now. If I wake up in the morning and still want this, will you consider it?"

She shrugged and walked to the closet. She threw him an extra pillow and blanket and went to her own room.

* * *

Meanwhile, Lexi was sitting straight at her computer. She had finished telling Greg about her trip and paused to listen to the conversation between her parents. She knew eavesdropping was wrong, but she just had to know. She was sick of secrets, sick of finding everything out last. The end of the conversation had set her off. She was telling Greg every word she could pick out. It was everything she had ever wanted.

* * *

"If I wake up in the morning and still want this, will you consider it?"

The words echoed in Sara's head. Yes, she loved Lexi, and Nick was certainly a nice guy, but would all of them living together be the answer? Deep in her gut she knew that Lexi wasn't completely comfortable with seeing her father only every other week. Sara also know that she herself wasn't comfortable letting her go for a week at a time.

"We can be roommates, like you and that girl in college."

Her eyelids grew heavy.

"Will you consider it?"

She drew the covers over her.

"Will you consider it?"

She was asleep.

"Will you consider it?"

* * *

**A/N: **Mostly a conversational chapter. It's something new for me, but I think it worked out. What do you think? 


	9. Chapter 9

**A/N: **All I can say is that I am thoroughly disappointed in myself. I've going a chapter a day since I started this. Now, technically I'm making that, but I generally have them up in the morning. Yesterday was just too hectic. I didn't have an extra minute to write. Since it's Friday, I have plenty of time. Okay, that's definitely enough of my rambling. Oh yes, **icklebitodd, **this one's for you.

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 9

I signed off with Greg and hugged my knees against my chest. I ran my tongue along the rough spot in my cheek. I'd bitten it several times tonight. I wasn't sure if it was out of nerves or just plain stupidity.

I was confused by my mother's actions. Here the prospect of being a family was staring her in the face and she was hesitating. I wondered if Nick's words had stung her as bad as they did me.

"We may not love each other, but we love Lexi."

The words washed over me like ice. One would think that after six years, seizing the opportunity for their friendship to bud into something more would be simple. Of course, my mother never took the simple way out of anything, did she?

I've lived with a crime scene investigator for most of my life. Sometimes my mom says I could probably do the job better than her. This is what I was counting on. I've read all the books and I've watched all the shows. Now's the time for me to start examining the evidence. I know that a person is not supposed to manipulate the evidence to suit their purpose, but I'm not dealing with an actual case, am I? I can make the evidence say whatever I want. I'm excited by the freedom. The sides of my mouth curl upwards.

I need to talk to someone. I need to explain to someone else what I'm about to do. I can't tell Greg. He works with my parents and is their close friend. There are too many chances to spill. No, I need someone closer to my age to share this with. My next thought was Courtney. She's my best friend, so surely she'd understand my goal. There is, however, one problem. She doesn't really know these people at all. Yes, she calls my mother her second mom, but she was locked in the same lie as me. No, I need a person who's been through it all. I need someone who knows exactly what buttons to push on each person. I may need to use the others at the lab in this plot. The name my mind uncovers in Lindsey Willows. For the past two years she's been my greatest source of knowledge. If anyone knows how to take a situation and make it roll their way, it's her.

I sat thinking for a few more minutes and then retired to bed. I pulled the covers up to my neck and snapped my eyes shut. In the back of my mind, I was seriously doubting I'd get much sleep tonight. Thank heavens for summer vacation. I was going to need it.

* * *

The sun rose over the Sidle apartment. I awoke to the smell of sweet cinnamon rolls. My mother only made those for special occasions. What was so special about today? I ran a brush through my hair. Light poured in through the living room windows. I felt a sudden fit of giggling coming on. Nick was dancing around the kitchen in his boxer shorts. He was singing into a wooden spoon. The last lines of "Somebody to Love" fell off his lips as he saw me doubled over in the corner of his eye. I was trying to control my laughter, I really was, but it was no use. He arched an eyebrow. "Sorry, sorry, I'm okay now. Really, I'm okay," I said between breaths.

"Did I wake you?" he asked.

"Nope. This is my normal waking hour. Where's mom?"

"Still asleep, I think. We were up kind of late last night."

"I know." I clapped my hands over my mouth. The words had just slipped out.

"Were you eaves dropping, Alexis Sidle?"

I could feel my cheeks turning red. "What would give you that assumption?"

"Alright, kiddo, how much did you hear?"

"Everything." Since I was caught, I figured I might as well be honest.

"And?"

"And what?"

"What did you think?"

"Well, since my mother is sleeping and it couldn't possibly get me into trouble, I'd just like to say that I agree with you completely."

"Good to know. Now pour some orange juice; breakfast is almost ready."

I was dismayed to find that my mother did everything in her power to avoid Nick the entire day. She used all the excuses from needing to shop to needing a nap in order to be well-rested for the night's shift. I knew it was a load of baloney and I had a feeling Nick did too. If she kept up this attitude, she was going to throw a wrench in my plan…once I came up with one. I made a mental note to call Lindsey as soon as I had the house to myself. Maybe she could come up with something creative. I figured it was going to take something extraordinary to tip the board my direction.

* * *

I was surprised twelve hours later when she suggested just the opposite.

"Are you crazy? My mom will see right through it."

"Maybe so," she said, "but it'll still get under her skin. She'll know exactly what you're doing, and yet she can't ignore it. She'll have to give in eventually."

"Has it ever worked for you?"

"Are you kidding? Of course it has. My mom does just about anything I ask of her. She really doesn't like to argue with me."

"Well, my mom doesn't have that problem. She might fight me to the death over this."

"What's she going to say? 'No more spending time with your father.' I don't think that would be the safest way for her to play. There's no way you would go for that, and Nick certainly wouldn't."

I smiled as I hung up the phone. For being just thirteen, Lindsey sure had a good brain. She also had an amazing knack for manipulation. It was my turn to get to that level. I, Alexis Nicole Sidle, had a plan, and I was almost certain it was going to work.

* * *

**A/N2: **Well, there it is. I'm still sorry it's way later than usual. I hope this makes up for it at least a little. Let me know what you thought. 


	10. Chapter 10

**A/N: **Wow, chapter ten. I never thought I'd get this far on a story. I'm seriously neglecting my other one and it has my best friend in fits. This one is just too hard to put down. To all my reviewers: I love you to death. I'm just shy of 100 reviews and it's all because I have the best readers in the world.

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 10

Sara peered down the ladder at her daughter. She held a burned-out light bulb in her left hand and a brand new one in her right. Lexi was spotting her at the base of the ladder.

"Lexi, we don't need to discuss this now. Will you please just take the light bulb?"

"Mom, we do need to discuss this now. It's a very important issue. We can't keep putting it off forever."

"Can it at least wait until I'm off the ladder?"

"Fine."

Sara screwed in the bulb and hopped off the ladder. She flipped the switch and smiled as the room became brighter. "Now, how about some breakfast?"

"Mother!"

"Alright, alright. We'll talk."

"Good, because I have something very important to tell you."

"Oh you do, do you?"

"Yes. I'm moving in with Dad."

Sara raised her eyebrow skeptically at her daughter. "You're doing what?"

"I overheard you and him talking the other night, and I agree with him completely. I'm going to move in with him. You can come too."

"Thanks for the invitation. Lex, we really can't do that?"

"And why not?"

"Lexi, you don't just move in with someone because they share your DNA."

"Says who?"

"Okay, listen, we may do it eventually, but it's just not the right time now. Besides, we still have the apartment. The lease is clear through the end of the year."

Alexis frowned. She knew this wasn't really a problem. Sara and Alexis both knew the landlord quite well. It would've been relatively easy to get out of the lease. Not to mention all of Sara's connections with lawyers. She was stalling. Lexi was glad that she had recently called Lindsey. With her help, they had come up with a plan to get Sara and Nick together. Lexi had high hopes for the plot and phase one was about to begin.

* * *

Sara threw the file on Grissom's desk. Ever since she had announced the fact that she had a child, he had been stricter about her work. She thought that she had somehow let him down with this information. That puzzled her. Maybe he was upset at the fact that Nick was becoming a larger part of her life due to the child. That puzzled her even more. Over the years she had yearned for Grissom's affection. He had turned her down numerous times. Now, when things were just starting to get in order, he had to mess them up. She adjusted her shirt. No, she was not going to let that happen. Grissom blew his chances. If she wanted to care more about her daughter than her boss, then so be it. He wasn't going to stop her.

She pulled her car into the parking space in front of the apartment. She glanced up and saw that there were no lights on in her home. She grabbed her purse and headed up the walk. She made her way to the ever-familiar leaf shaped dish and paused. There was a note taped to the stem. It was in Lexi's handwriting.

"Mom, I told you I was moving in with Dad, and so I have. I'll be by to get the rest of my stuff sometime tomorrow. See you there? Love, Lexi."

Sara dropped her keys onto the counter and ran to Lexi's bedroom. She pushed open the door. The room was nearly empty. Only her bed, desk, and dresser were left. Even the stereo set had been removed. She threw open the closet doors. The only things that remained were the Stokes shirts from her trip to Texas. Sara felt anger bubbling throughout her body. She ran back to the kitchen and picked up the phone. She punched in Nick's home phone number.

"Stokes residence."

"Nick, what the hell is Lexi doing there?"

"Sara? Jeez, calm down. No need to explode. She's watching TV. Would you prefer she do something else?"

"Cut the crap, Nick. Let me talk to her."

"Okay, but don't blow her eardrum out."

"Hello?" Lexi said timidly.

"Alexis Nicole Sidle, you get your butt back home right now!" Sara yelled into the phone.

"I am home, Mother. Nick is my father and I live with him. You should come."

"Alexis! I do not have the patience for this. Get in the car and have him drive you over here right now."

"No. I'm staying here. He wants to be my dad and I'm going to let him. If you don't want to be here, that's your problem."

"You have ten minutes to get over here or I'm grounding you."

"From what?"

"Theatre rehearsal."

"You want to pay three hundred bucks a month and have it go to waste, fine by me. See you later." She hung up the phone.

Sara threw the phone across the room. What on earth was her daughter trying to accomplish by these little antics? She heard a nagging at the back of her mind. It told her she should know exactly what was going on. Lexi was doing everything in her power to get all three of them to live together. She was going to stay at Nick's until Sara gave in and ran to be with them. Sara bit her lip. She was the mother in the house, not Lexi. Shouldn't she have the say in what goes on? Somehow it wasn't turning out to be like that.

* * *

Lexi paced around her room. The plan was failing dismally. Sara had called back twice and each time Lexi had given her the same answer. Still, Sara had not given up and come over. Phase one might've pushed some buttons, but it wasn't enough to get Sara to cave. Nick hadn't even resorted to going over and carrying Sara to his house like Lexi wished he would. She bit her nails. She was going to have to start phase two. As angry as phase one had made Sara, phase two would make her furious. Lexi had a feeling that Nick wouldn't be too ecstatic about this phase either. No, Lexi knew that this next portion was going to get her into serious trouble. And because she had no one else to turn to, it was going to get Lindsey into trouble as well. Lexi hesitated going through with it at all. Lindsey had insisted it was the right thing to do.

She glanced at the clock. A few more minutes and she'd be on her way to a lifetime of punishment. Somehow she doubted missing theatre practice would come close to anything Sara could dish out. She just hoped that the reward would be worth it. She looked at the clock once more. She took a deep breath. Show time.

* * *

**A/N2: **I realize that I haven't ever put up a disclaimer. "I don't own anything to do with CSI." There. Now that I've done my job, I must ask you to do yours. Please let me know what you thought! Muchas gracias. 


	11. Chapter 11

**A/N: **I took another day off, I know. Lunch at Red Robin and a water balloon fight were calling my name and I couldn't resist. School gets out the 7th and then I can be wholly devoted to you all. Enjoy chapter eleven.

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 11

My backpack hung loosely over my left shoulder. The clock ticked loudly. If the time was right (which I knew it was), I should've left five minutes ago. The bus came in two minutes and if I didn't make it, I'd have to walk. I wasn't too crazy about that idea. My jaw was clenched tight. I was about to break several rules. I opened the door and peered down the driveway. The street was quiet. I locked the door behind me (I didn't want to risk Nick's stuff being stolen) and took off running.

The bus driver didn't give me a second look as I laid the coins into his hand. I chose a seat at the back. I needed to be as inconspicuous as possible. The occupants of the bus took little notice of me. I was breathing hard as I clung to the side of the seat. I closed my eyes. Public transportation had always made me shaky, and this time was no different. I felt a hand on my shoulder and nearly jumped out of my skin.

An old woman with auburn hair (that was clearly a wig) smiled down at me. "Are you alright?" she asked.

I tried to smile back and nod. I breathed deeply, trying to slow my heart. "Yes, I'm fine. I'm just not a fan of buses."

"Okay, dear. I'll be over here if you need me."

I nodded again and turned my head to face the window. The sights of Las Vegas flashed before me, but I wasn't awestruck. In fact, the flashing lights were somewhat of a sedative.

The sun was slowly setting when the bus pulled up to my stop. I exited through the back doors, not wanting the driver to have to see me again. I walked hurriedly down the street. There were people out and about and it added to my paranoia. I glanced over my shoulder several times to make sure no one was following me.

I sat on the doorstep when I reached my destination. The easy part of tonight's demonstration had been completed. I pressed my hand to my heart. It was almost beating at a normal rate. I pulled my hair behind my ears and knocked in the silly rhythm we'd discussed. I was immensely relieved when she answered the door quickly.

"You didn't sound very enthusiastic with that knock," the blonde said.

"Hi, Lindsey. Sorry, I'm a bit on edge tonight."

"Why? You've got nothing to worry about. Come in. I ordered pizza. Hope you like pepperoni."

Although she wasn't jumpy at first, she soon joined me in frantic anticipation. We didn't drink much. There was no point if we were going to have an accident every time the phone rang. I kept well hidden if someone was at the door. Basically, Lindsey was running the show. "Do you have the plan memorized?" she asked me.

"The plan?"

"You know, what exactly you're going to say when our parents get here. You know, they will get here eventually."

"I'd like to keep that out of my head for as long as possible. Besides, I'll probably just use the truth."

" 'Mom, Dad, I ran away to get you two to look for me together and realize how much I need both of you to discipline me at the same time.' Sorry, Lex, I don't think that would work. You're really not good at the whole manipulation thing, are you? Here's what you do: flip the story to blame them. Say something like 'Mom, Dad, I'm sorry I left, but I just couldn't stand it anymore. The way you two try to pretend nothing's wrong and say that staying apart is the best way to go is just too hard. You both want me to be with you. How am I supposed to choose?' It's a sure thing to work."

"Lindsey Willows, you have one amazing mind."

"That's what they tell me at school, only it's usually followed by 'Why don't you use it to help your grades?'"

We both laughed.

* * *

Sara lifted a piece of tape off a fingerprint. She smiled when she saw the perfect ridges. "Let's just hope this guy's in the system."

"Hear, hear," said Nick as he raised a swab in the air. They continued to scour the crime scene looking for every last piece of evidence. Nick loaded the last of the cartons into the back of is Denali and turned to face Sara. "You ready to head back to the lab?"

She nodded then held up a finger. "Do you think, when we get back, you can handle things for awhile. Maybe an hour? I really want to go by your house and see Lexi. I haven't seen her all week. That seems to be her point, but I need to see my kid, Nick."

He chuckled. "Sure, I can spare you. Be quick about it though, or Grissom'll tan your hide."

"He spanks people?"

"Cute."

"I thought so," she said, grinning.

* * *

Lindsey and I chowed down on pizza until we were ready to burst. By midnight no one had called or come by, and we were beginning to get worried.

"You don't think they're going to send out the entire police force looking for me, do you?" I asked.

"If it was my mother looking for me, we wouldn't just have the police force; we'd have the entire armed forces of the country. Your mother is nothing like mine, so no worries about that, but I'd say it's a definite possibility of the police."

"Great," I moaned, "We are so dead."

"Oh, it won't be that bad."

"Maybe not if it was your mother, but with mine, it's a sure hit that I am deader than road kill."

"Is it worth it?"

"I hope so," I said giving a shaky laugh.

* * *

Sara killed the engine and strolled up the driveway to Nick's front door. She rapped on it twice, but no one answered. She tried the doorbell and felt an unnecessary fear building in her. She reached in her pocket and pulled out the key Nick had given her in case of an emergency. _Does this qualify?_ she thought. _I certainly hope not. _She shoved the door open and entered the dark house. She called out to Lexi but there was no reply. She walked through the house throwing doors open and calling to her daughter. Again, only silence followed. The fear grew stronger. She yanked out her cell phone and dialed Nick's number.

"Nick, it's Sara. She's gone!" Sara broke down after the last syllable.

* * *

**A/N2: **What did you think? 


	12. Chapter 12

**A/N: **As I sat here at my computer reading your wonderful reviews (thanks, btw) I thought of something. I have given you about 1.5 chapters that are all in Lexi's perspective. Now I think it is time for the second "victim" to have his say. Therefore, this chapter will be in Nick's POV. Enjoy! (P.S. I was going to save this til tomorrow morning, but I just couldn't wait.)

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 12

"Sara, calm down! What do you mean she's gone?" I asked her.

"The door was locked, no one answered, I went in and looked all around, and no one is here."

"Did you look for a note?"

She gave an exasperated chuckle. "Am I two? Of course I looked for a note. There isn't one."

"Alright, Sara, there's no need to freak out. She probably just went over to your house or something. Why don't you make some calls and then call me back. I'm going to talk to Grissom." I clicked off the phone and strolled down the hall. Grissom's door was shut, so I knocked gently. I pulled it open as he looked up from paperwork.

"What can I do for you, Nick?"

"I came here to ask for a bit of time off for Sara and me."

Grissom's face was quizzical. "Is everything alright between you two?"

"Oh, yeah, everything's fine. Sara's just having a slight panic attack because she went to see Lexi and she wasn't at my house."

"Sara went to see Lexi? Isn't she supposed to be working?"

I shrugged. "Well, she hadn't seen her all week because Lexi is protesting and she really wanted to see her, and, anyway, the point is, I let her go. She was only going to be gone an hour, but if she can't find her, she's going to need some backup."

Grissom frowned and pulled his glasses from his eyes. "I see. Well, as your child is missing, I can't really say no. All I can do is ask that both of you return as soon as you get this straightened out. I'm going to call Warrick, as it's his night off, but he won't be too happy. I'll be sure to lay the blame at your feet."

I nodded as I walked out towards the break room to wait for Sara's call. I felt certain that it would all be a misunderstanding. Where would Lexi go besides Sara's or Courtney's? My phone rang just as I was pouring a cup of Greg's signature coffee. He'd been less protective of it since Lexi had openly admitted to disliking it. I made a mental note to thank her later. "Stokes."

"Nick, she's nowhere. No one has seen her. I called my house; I called Courtney; I even found a list of phone numbers on her bedroom wall and called every single one. No one has any idea where she is!"

"Come on, Sara, don't get all hysterical on me. I'm going to your house. Meet me there. She may just not have answered the phone. We'll go from there, okay? Hey, have you thought to call Lindsey?"

"Why would she be over there?" Sara said almost whining.

"They're friends aren't they?"

"I guess so. I'll give it a try. See you in a few minutes?"

"Yeah." I nodded to Greg on my way out and drove toward Sara's house as fast as I could.

* * *

Sara punched in Catherine's home phone number and tapped her foot impatiently. A very cheery teenager answered. "Lindsey? How are you? It's Sara. Listen, I have a very important question for you: Have you seen or talked to Lexi lately?" 

Lindsey sighed into the phone. "Well, I talked to her a couple of days ago, but I haven't seen her in like a week."

"Are you sure? It's really important."

"Sorry, Sara, I haven't seen her."

Sara punched the phone off in frustration. She dashed to her car and moved in the direction of her house.

* * *

"Boy oh boy, Lindsey," Lexi said placing her hand on her forehead, "you have just signed your death warrant." 

"Nah," Lindsey said and she threw a pillow at Lexi's head.

* * *

I pulled into Sara's driveway and noticed her car by the sidewalk. I jogged to the front door and saw it wide open. Sara was in a heap in the center of the floor. I raced over and wrapped my arms around her back. "What's wrong?" 

Sara looked at me with tearstained cheeks. "She's not here, Nick. My baby's not here. She's gone. What am I going to do?"

"Let's go. We'll scour the bus routes and ask anyone if they've seen her. She can't have gone too far. She doesn't have a car or any money."

"I sure hope you're right, Nick; I sure hope you're right."

We climbed into my car and didn't speak as we drove off into the night. We went by all of the local teenage hang outs and looked around. She was nowhere to be found. I was worried. I had been so sure that this whole thing was a mistake, but now, I didn't know what to think. It was an odd sight, Sara and I hunting for our daughter together. We had done little other than shopping for Lexi that involved the both of us. I felt that Sara saw me as an intrusion into her life. I could certainly sense her annoyance with me in the week and a half since Lexi had vowed to move in with me permanently. I only hoped Sara overlooked that now and focused on the real goal: getting Lexi back.

By two in the morning, we were worn down. I had covered every area she was known to frequent at least twice. We had called Lexi's friends several times. No one seemed to have any idea what could have happened to our sixteen year old girl. Sara had requested calling for police backup but I had shut the idea down. There was no sign of forced entry or a struggle at either place. The police would have no reason to think she had disappeared, other than the fact we didn't know where she was. I was sure that happened all the time.

I decided to place a call to each of the members of our team and ask them to keep their ears open. Maybe someone had heard about a hitchhiking teenager. I hoped not. Catherine had mentioned going home soon, but she promised to call if she heard anything. Warrick was a tad bitter at being woken up, but he agreed to help search once he was done working. Greg had jumped in his car and started to scour the land. Sara turned her head to me. "Nick, what am I going to do if something happened to her? I don't think I could live with myself. I've seen parents who've lost kids, and I just couldn't do it."

I pulled the car off to the side of the road. "Sara, you're not going to lose her. We're not going to stop looking until we find her, and I promise we're going to find her. If I have to drive all the way to the moon and back, I'll do it." I reached down under my seat and pulled up a Kleenex box. I smiled as I handed it to her.

I made my way back onto the main road. I tugged at my pants pocket as it began to vibrate. I flipped open the phone and listened. "Thanks." I hung it up and whirled the car around.

"What are you doing?" Sara asked me, surprised.

"We're going to Catherine's house. She found Lexi."

* * *

**A/N2: **Yes, I do think it's about time for Sara and Lexi and Nick to have a big confrontational episode. Stay tuned. Oh, and let me know what your thoughts are. Thanks. 


	13. Chapter 13

**A/N: **Now, of course we must have a chapter in Sara's point of view. I thought this was the perfect time. Let's let the "criminal" face her mistakes, shall we?

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 13

I didn't know what to feel. Should I be angry that my child is somewhere I checked or overjoyed that she's safe? Should I be glad Lindsey kept her there or annoyed that she didn't feel the need to call us with the news? The questions rolled around in my head. I was glad Nick was driving. I don't think I could've focused on the road. As it was, he nearly drove into a ditch or oncoming traffic several times. He cared so much about Lexi and yet he'd known her for such a little time. I glanced at the speedometer. He was breaking eighty. I thanked God that the police seemed to have more pressing matters tonight than patrolling the streets for speeders.

It occurred to me, as we pulled down the street Catherine lived on, that we needed to call Greg and Warrick. They didn't need to search anymore. I was unsure of how to approach the whole situation and I knew Nick was just as confused. I seriously doubted he had ever disciplined this kid and it didn't set well with him that he had to start. I rang the doorbell and Catherine pulled the door open, giving us a small smile. Behind her, I could see the two girls sitting on the couch. The television was off and each girl had their hands folded in their lap. I figured Catherine had already given them a talking-to. I hoped both teenagers were expecting more. They were certainly going to get it, especially the one that belonged to me.

Catherine stepped aside, allowing us to enter her home. The girls looked up and I saw shame lining each of their faces. At least they knew they were in trouble. I figured starting off ignoring the problem would be a waste of time, so I jumped right it. "Hello, Alexis. Long time, no see."

Her cheeks turned bright red. "Hi, Mom, Dad."

Nick nodded to his daughter. I peered back at him. Man, they were sure picture images of each other.

I spoke again. "We don't need to take up any more of Catherine's time, so I'll just say that I am very disappointed in both of you. Come on, Alexis, let's go." I watched as she grabbed her backpack and headed to the door. Lindsey started to give her a wave, but Catherine shot her a glare and she stopped.

Nick was driving again. He hadn't spoken a single word except to thank Catherine again for calling him. I, however, had absolutely no problem voicing my anger. Lexi kept her eyes pinned on her shoes.

"Alexis Nicole Sidle, what on earth were you thinking? You know the rules. You don't go anywhere without telling one of us. If you can't get a hold of us by phone, you leave a note on the counter. You know that! "

She didn't say a word. I noticed Nick staring at her in the rearview mirror. I wondered when he was going to begin his chat. I hoped he didn't leave me to do all the disciplining. That would definitely not go over well. Nick was driving to his own house, but I didn't question the decision. After all, that was where Lexi resided. That thought made my blood boil momentarily. I turned square in my seat. The car was not the place to fight. No, home would be much better. Then I could yell without worrying about Nick crashing.

He parked the car and everyone remained seated. Only when I unbuckled and moved to exit, did Lexi jump out of the car and run to the house. She used her key to unlock the door and sped inside. From the walkway, I heard her door shut. Nick followed me inside and locked the door behind us. I was on the warpath and went straight to her room. "Alexis Nicole Sidle, you get your little self out of that room right now and be on the couch in ten seconds."

She obeyed much faster than I expected. I began to stomp to the living room, but Nick grabbed my arm. He pulled me back and whispered in my ear, "Sara, maybe it's best if we just ask her to explain herself. Surely she has an explanation. You can always yell at her, but let's just give her some time to tell us what she was doing."

In all honesty, I thought that idea was ridiculous and that we should tear her to pieces, but as it was his house, I agreed. "Okay, Alexis, you need to explain yourself. What were you doing at Lindsey's house without telling anyone."

She took a deep breath and began. "I'm sorry I didn't tell you where I was going, I really am, but I had to go. I just had to."

I was very skeptical of her answer. "And why is that?"

"You hate this house. You hate that I live in this house. You never come to see me and I know it's making you resentful towards Dad."

"What on earth would give you that impression?" I asked appalled.

"The way you turned him down when he asked you to live here. I hate how you ignore that there's a problem. You both want me to live with you and I don't know how you expect me to choose between you. You're my parents and I love both of you. I don't want to have to take sides." She began to cry and Nick bent down to her.

He embraced her. "Oh, sweetie, we don't expect you to choose between us. We're just going through a phase."

"You may not expect me to choose, but she does," she choked out.

I must've looked like a deer caught in headlights. It seemed as though I had made another mistake towards my kid. It was a good thing this wasn't a baseball game, because I definitely would've struck out by now. "Lexi," I said sitting on the couch, "I don't want you to choose between your father and me. I just don't want to be away from you for so long."

"Then why didn't you agree to move here? It's not like you have to share a room. We'd be a family. Don't you want that?"

"Of course I do, Lex. It just wasn't good timing."

"It never is," Lexi complained. She got up and went back to her room. Nick moved to go after her, but I stopped him.

"Just let her be."

He turned to me, obviously puzzled. "You sure?"

"Yeah. She needs her space. Hey Nick, is your offer still open?"

He smiled. "Always."

* * *

**A/N2: **Hmm. I think Lexi was certainly convincing. I hope there was some resolution for you all there. Oh yes, and for all of you who truly hate cliffhangers, I gave you a bit of a break. There will be more to come. Let me know your thoughts. 


	14. Chapter 14

**Headliner**

Chapter 14

Alexis Nicole Sidle was quite pleased with herself. Not only had she managed to get her parents to live in the same house, but she had done it all and got in very little trouble. She had gone to bed the night of her running away thinking she had got of scot-free. She woke up the next morning to find out she had been wrong. She was, however, only grounded for a week. It was the best week she had ever spent grounded.

The Sidle-Stokes family had created a kind of rhythm that all three of them were very used to. The parents made a large point to call her several times a day and stop by and see her once in awhile. Lexi found her life getting much easier. She didn't have to worry about whose house she was staying at or who she was making mad at that week. She had everything she could ever want. She continued to devote her summer to her true love: theatre. She had been in school plays as a kid and always loved them. As a high schooler, she really wanted to continue it. Both Sara and Nick encouraged it greatly. It was not only a great way for her to gain confidence, but it kept her out of trouble.

* * *

As Lindsey knew she would, Catherine had only punished her a little. She'd been grounded from the phone for one day. She was glad she had helped Lexi in her dilemma. Now if only she could get her mother together with Warrick.

* * *

Nick practically skipped into work the next day. He'd gotten a wonderful night's sleep. Sara had told Lexi that she couldn't have her music at such a catastrophic level all hours of the day. For this, Nick was grateful. He was also planning a surprise for his ladies. Lexi hadn't been to Texas in a couple of months, and as stressful as the time had been, he knew she wanted to go back. He was perfectly willing to take her. That is, he was willing, if Sara would go as well. His family deserved to meet the mother of his child even if they weren't married. He hoped Sara would see this as well.

He walked in to find Sara brooding over a case file in the break room. He pranced over to her and threw a brochure on top of her pile of papers. She didn't look up.

"Trying to work here, Nick," she said annoyed.

"Fine. I'll take Lexi and Greg on vacation then."

She snatched up the brochure from his hands.

"Vacation in Texas?" she asked.

"Yeah, what's wrong with that?"

"Doesn't your family live there?"

"Again I say yes and again I ask, what's wrong with that?"

She focused on the brochure. "Nothing. Well, I mean, we don't have to stay with them do we? You can, of course, they're your family, but me, me and Lexi, we can stay at a hotel right?"

"Sara, I don't understand the problem. Lexi did fine last time. I think she'd want to stay with them. She likes them, especially Hutch and Ace. They give her someone to hang out with."

"Oh, I see. Well, okay, she can stay with you and them. I guess I'll just stay at a Hilton nearby or something."

"Sara, there is plenty of room at my parents' house for you. They'd be happy to have you."

"You sure about that?" she said and raised her eyebrows.

Nick looked at Sara and stepped backwards. "Oh, Sara! I didn't even think about that."

"No kidding," she muttered.

"Listen, if you decide to go and stay at the house, I'll give my family a strict talking-to. It worked the first time, it'll work the second."

* * *

Nick had gone a few minutes later to discuss the timing of the vacation with Grissom. He knew his boss would not be happy at the thought of losing two of his employees for a week, but he had to try.

"Nick, I must remind you of the guidelines concerning inter-lab relationships. It is greatly frowned upon. We wouldn't want anything jeopardizing the integrity of our cases."

"Griss, you have nothing to worry about. Sara and I aren't in a relationship. We're simply taking our kid on a trip."

"I sure hope so. Enjoy your time."

Nick noticed the lack of real conversation from Grissom but wasn't surprised by it. He's probably still sore about Sara hiding the truth, he thought. Deep down, Nick was still a little sore as well, although it was fading gradually.

* * *

Nick sat on the plane with his hand on Lexi's knee. Sara was in the restroom. Nick looked over to his daughter and saw her clutching the hand rest. "Lex, what's wrong? I thought you decided you loved planes."

She released her grasp and smiled at him. "Oh, I do, I'm just nervous."

"Why? You've already met everyone. They love you."

She nodded. "Yes, but they haven't met Mom. She's the one they're really going to judge. I can feel it. You may have realized that I'm a bit of an eavesdropper, and I overheard some of them talking last time I was there. I'm afraid she'll be disappointed. I'm afraid they won't like her."

Nick took hold of her hand. "Lexi, everything will be alright. I promise you that."

Sara returned and Lexi got up to use the restroom herself.

"How are you?" Nick asked her.

"I'm great. I'm dandy. Okay, I'm a mess. I've never been this concerned about anything in my life."

He laughed. "It never ceases to amaze me how alike you and Lexi are. She's worried out of her skin."

"I've taught her well."

"Sara, I was serious when I told you I'd tell my family to back off. I've already called them, but I'll do it again in awhile."

Sara breathed out slowly. "Alright, I'll be fine. How much longer?"

* * *

Lexi felt the familiar silence wash over her. She felt the prying eyes of her father's family move from her to her mother and back again. She saw the expressions of doubt and disappointment and still felt the sting. She wondered when they truly would accept her for who she was.

Sara had one hand on Lexi's shoulder and the other on a suitcase. She tried her best to put on a smile, but it was challenging. Their stares bore into her skin. She wondered how her daughter had managed to make it two weeks with these people. She then wondered how she was going to make it just one.

The Stokes family turned around, signifying that it was time to go. Sara glanced up at Nick and then down at her daughter. They walked out of the airport.

"Let judgement day begin," said Sara.

* * *

**A/N: **Once again, it is Sara's turn to feel the pressure she has put on her daughter. Stay tuned. Let me know what you thought. 


	15. Chapter 15

**A/N: **Alright, this chapter goes out to **sandersfox, **because she put my story ahead of her boyfriend. That's classic. The rest of my reviewers, you rock!

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 15

The drive to the large home of Bill and Jillian Stokes was quiet. Both adults had smiled brightly at the sight of their granddaughter, but frowned quickly when their gazes came upon Sara. Sara sat in between Lexi and Nick, not wanting to be too far from either one. The car bounced down the familiar dirt road and Lexi couldn't help but grin. She really had enjoyed her time there.

As Nick had requested, Sara and Lexi were put into the same room, with him just across the hall. Sara stayed with her to collect her thoughts, while Nick went downstairs. He entered the kitchen and ran into his brother, Darren.

"Hey, D, what's up?"

"Welcome back, Nicky. It's good to see you so soon again. And that girl of yours too. She's something."

"Thanks. She wouldn't be this great without her mother of course."

"When are you two getting hitched?"

"Excuse me?" asked Nick.

"Yeah, Hutch and Ace have been walking around talking about how this visit is just to let all of us know when you are marrying this Sara woman."

Nick's brows slid downward. "Oh they have, have they? I think I'll go find them and have a little chat. Do you know where these nieces of mine are?"

"The stables I think. Ace was talking about getting the horses ready for when Lexi wanted to ride."

"Thanks Darren, and please try to keep this rumor under wraps. Or at least spread the word that we aren't getting married."

"You got it, bro."

Nick slid through the back door and walked down the stone path to the stables. One of his nieces sat on the fence. She smiled as he approached, but quickly jumped off when she saw the expression on his face. Good, he thought, at least she knows what she's done. He lifted the metal lock with his fingers and moved into the ring. Both girls stood next to one of the horses. "Ladies, how are you doing?"

"We're great, Uncle Nick; how are you?" one of them said.

"I was doing just fine until a few minutes ago. Some of our family members have been saying that the Hutchins girls have been spreading a rumor about Sara and I. You two wouldn't happen to know anything about it, would you?"

Kaitlyn "Hutch" Hutchins made the dirt swirl around with the toe of her boot. "We were just talking to each other, Uncle Nick."

"Then how is it that Darren knows about it?" Nick asked, stealing a brush from the shelf.

"We might not have been talking all that quietly," Katie's twin, Linley "Ace" Hutchins, answered.

"Where exactly did this conversation happen?"

"The car on the ride over," said Katie.

"So your parents know too. Alright, kids, listen up. Sara and I are not getting married. We work together; we're friends; we happen to have a kid. That's it. She's here to meet the family because she's Lexi's mom, not because we're getting married. Got it?"

"Yes," both girls mumbled.

"Spread it around," he said and waved his hands, motioning for them to leave. He shook his head. It was really hard for him to be angry at them. He began to brush the horse. A few minutes later, he heard the crunching of shoes on the rocks. He flashed a big Texas smile to the person walking up. It was Sara. "Hey, how's it going?"

"Pretty good. Lexi found Hutch and Ace, I ran into your brother, and came out here. How'd they get their nicknames anyway?"

Nick laughed. "Linley is an ace at sports, hence the nickname. Kaitlyn is either Katie or Hutch. Their last name is Hutchins. They've had those nicknames forever. Anyway, did my brother behave?"

"Yeah. He just told me that I'd raised a great kid."

"That's good, but it's no more than I expected. I knew he'd be the easiest one to impress. The hardest to sway will be my parents. Probably my dad is the worst. After them it'll be Leslie. At least you have one vote for you."

"Vote?" she inquired.

"Whenever I bring a girl home, which isn't very often," he added at Sara's raised brow, "my family has this little ritual. At the beginning of the trip, they'll tell me to take her out, usually on them. Then they have a meeting to decide if she's up to par. They do it again at the end of the trip to reassess. I discovered this one night when I came home earlier than they expected."

"Sounds like a tough system," Sara said.

"It can be, but I'll have to admit that it has saved me from quite a few idiots in my time."

* * *

That evening brought on a large family barbecue. Thirty-seven people gathered around wooden picnic tables covered with checkered cloths. An abundance of meats were scattered amongst the crowd. Breads and salads sat at the ends of the table. Sara noticed the strange looks she received as she passed on all of the meat. She couldn't help it that a pig experiment had left her meat appetite nonexistent. She made a mental note to blame Grissom for any trouble that came of her vegetarian diet.

After the meal, the adults sat around to chat while the kids ran around. Justine and Hailey hoped that the older kids would tire theirs out. Between the two of them, they had four kids who were all under seven years old. Lexi found herself in a tree house on the edge of the property with seven of her cousins.

The house had two rooms. They all gathered in the largest one and sat on cushions that lined the walls. A radio was playing for background music and a bowl of popcorn was passed from teen to teen. "So," asked Shelbie, one of Darren's daughters, "what's the deal between your mom and your dad?"

Lexi grabbed a handful of popcorn. "I don't know. Nothing's really 'the deal.' We all live together and everything. I kind of made sure that happened. They go to work and take care of me. That's all there is to it."

"No romantic interest between them?" asked Kayla, Nick's sister Camille's daughter.

"Not that I can see. They've been friends for a really long time, as long as I've lived in Vegas."

"Do you want them to get together?" asked Katie.

"I think it would be cool. Actually, having my parents married would be awesome. I've only wanted it for my whole life."

"What are you guys going to do while you're in Texas?" Ace asked.

"Tomorrow Nick has to take my mom out to dinner and," a series of "oohs" interrupted her. "What?"

"The dreaded family meeting," Shelbie explained. "The adults all get together and talk about whether or not to add your mom to the Christmas card list. They tell us to stay clear, but we always eavesdrop. It could be fun."

"Let's do it," her sister Tara said. "Come on, we better get a move on before Dillon blows the cover on what we're doing." They each took one last handful of popcorn and skedaddled down the tree.

Ace threw her arm around Lexi's shoulder. "Don't freak about this meeting, Lex. It's not really a big deal."

"I hope not," Lexi whispered under her breath. Would her mom be welcome anymore after tomorrow? She just had to wait and find out.

* * *

**A/N2: **I know that I took forever (2 days?) to update this, but I had to study for finals. Then I went to my friends' graduation. I should be on a regular schedule soon. Let me know what you thought. P.S. **CSIfan4life, **thanks for reading my "Fly in my Soup" story too. You're awesome. 


	16. Chapter 16

**A/N: **Two chapters in one day! I love it when I get to do that. Here ya go! Oh, and **Rissa545**, thanks, finals went pretty good. Only three more days of them.

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 16

Lexi hugged both of her parents as they made their way out the door for dinner. She watched them climb into her grandfather's car and drive down the long dirt road to the main street. She shut the door and ran upstairs to her room.

Tara, as the oldest cousin at eighteen, had nominated herself as guardian of the younger kids. She smiled, saying that she had been through this enough times. She did, however, still want reports as to what was going on. She also let them know, that if need be, she could waltz right in on the "meeting" and not be in trouble because of her age. Shelbie wrote Tara's name down in a box on the whiteboard reserved for updates.

"So, how are we going to do this?" asked Katie.

"Well, Hutch," said Tara, "I'm thinking we do it the same way we did for Dillon's last girlfriend: shifts. It'll be easier that way and we'll all get to hear stuff." Katie nodded. "Lexi, do you want to stay up here, or do you want to get in on the action?"

"I think I want to hear this for myself," Lexi replied.

"Okay, let's give it five minutes and then get busy," Tara noted.

* * *

Nick pulled open the car door and held it as Sara stepped out. "Nick, you don't have to do that," she said.

"Hey, we might as well make this fun. Besides, whenever I take someone to dinner, I act like a gentleman."

"So about once a year?"

"Funny. Keep that up and you can buy your own dinner."

"Sorry," she said laughing.

"You look nice tonight."

"Thanks. Lexi helped me pick it out. Do you think she has any idea why we are at this dinner?"

Nick opened the door to the restaurant. "Oh yeah. I'm sure the group has told her. And if I'm right, which I usually am," he chuckled at Sara's eye roll, "right about now they'll be planning where they can eavesdrop the best."

"Do the adults know they listen?"

"I don't think so. I caught them once when I went to get drinks for all of us. That was about four years ago, and I think they've all improved since then."

* * *

The first group, made of the three Hutchins daughters and Lexi, climbed delicately down the stairs. It was very important that they made as little noise as possible. Lacey crouched low at the door, followed by Lexi, then Ace and Katie. They pressed their ears to the wood, straining to hear anything. Apparently the big discussion hadn't started yet. They were about to back off for a moment when a voice came from inside the room. "Let's get this show on the road then."

"That's Grandpa," whispered Ace.

"Okay, I'll start. My first complaint is that she's obviously a vegetarian."

"Lexi is too. You going to hold that against her?" asked Darren.

"No she's not. She just held off because she saw the looks some of us were giving her mom. We've got to remember to be more discreet around her. That gal picks up everything."

"Did any of you stop to think that if Lexi knows how we feel, Sara does too?"

At Lexi's puzzled look, Katie mouthed, "Camille."

"So what? That's never stopped us before. The woman should know exactly what we think. It's not right to be dishonest. Let's get back to the point. She's not a very good Texan, not being a meat eater."

"Dad, Michael's not a meat eater and you like him. He's a man, too."

"Thanks, Hailey."

"Plus," the woman added, "she's not a Texan. She's from Las Vegas."

"I'm not a Texan either," said Michael, "I'm from South Dakota."

"Farmers should eat meat," Bill Stokes mentioned.

"Sara's not a farmer, is she?" asked Jamie.

"No," Darren said, "she's not. She works at a crime lab. You know, the place where people see dead bodies every day."

"What does that have to do with anything?" Jillian asked. It was the first time she had spoken.

Darren continued. "Let's think about that, shall we? If someone sees bodies ripped up and blood everywhere, don't you think that might be a reason to dislike meat just a little?"

"I think that might change my liking a tad," said Justine.

Katie tapped Lexi on the shoulder and pointed toward the stairway. The four girls sat atop the stairs before going into the bedroom.

"You know, if the first thing Grandpa can come up with is 'she's obviously a vegetarian,' you're probably good," Ace noted.

"Yeah," Lacey said, "Usually they hit the big stuff first. Like she's a murderer or something."

"A murderer?" Lexi inquired.

"Uncle Nick dated a chick with a record one time," said Katie.

"It wasn't pretty," added Ace.

The four girls got up and went into the room. The rest of the gang looked to them with expectant faces. "Alright, Hutch, you look like you're about to burst, what's the scoop?" asked Shelbie.

"Well, I think we're golden. Grandpa complained because Sara doesn't eat meat. That caused quite a stir. I think most people were on Sara's side with this one."

"Good. We're up, Stokes kids," Shelbie said looking at her brothers and sister.

Lexi sat down in the circle and joined in the game the kids were playing. The game was Crazy Eights and she had taken over Shelbie's hand.

* * *

Nick smiled as the waiter set down a large steak and mashed potato dinner in front of him. Sara had chosen a pasta meal. Nick was telling her stories from his childhood.

"So as I was saying, I'm lying on the grass with my arm hurting like no other, and Darren is looking down from the tree laughing. Jamie heard me crying from where she was playing dolls and ran to get Mom and Dad. They were angry with me at first, but when I pointed out that my arm was practically killing me, they got more concerned and drove me to the emergency room. As it turned out, it was broken."

"Ahh," said Sara, "your first battle scar."

"No, the battle didn't come until I got home. Darren wasn't paying attention and I whacked him in the arm with my cast. Let's just say we were both reminded of the incident for a long time."

"You sure seem to get along with Darren fine now," she mentioned.

"Yeah, after he moved out we didn't have any reason to dislike each other. I was a fourteen-year-old with the coolest nineteen-year-old brother in the world. You should ask my parents about this; I completely idolized him." Nick noticed that she busied herself with her food at the mention of his parents. "What's wrong?"

"I'm worried, Nick. What if after all of this, your family still doesn't accept me? I can live with it, I think. I'm an adult, I don't have to impress everyone, but Lexi won't understand. She will be absolutely crushed if they don't like me."

"Well then, we're just going to have to make sure that doesn't happen."

* * *

**A/N2:** Opinions, please. :) 


	17. Chapter 17

**Headliner**

Chapter 17

Shelbie, Mark, David, and Alicia Stokes piled into the bedroom, clearly out of breath. As they dropped to the floor, Shelbie turned to the rest of the kids. "We nearly got caught," she said, "Dad was coming out of the room and we hightailed it out of there. While I don't think he would've blown our cover to the rest of them, he wouldn't have been happy."

"At least you got back here. What's going on down there anyway?" asked Kayla.

"It seems as though they're going out of their usual pattern. They've finally moved on to the big issue. That is, of course, they're discussing Sara's decision to not tell Nick about Lexi. I think this one's going to go on for awhile."

"Did you get any particulars?" asked Tara, who had just come into the room.

Shelbie looked like she'd seen a ghost. "If you're in here, who's watching the kids?"

"Relax, sister, Luke's got it under control. He knows the penalty if any of them get downstairs. Now get back to the story."

"Grandma was upset that she missed out on sixteen years with Uncle Nick's only daughter. She thinks that Sara should've sucked it up and told Nick," Alicia said.

"Dad defended Sara until he was out of breath. I don't think he'll ever be against her. Aunt Leslie was really angry with him. She kept muttering about family values and respect," said Shelbie.

"My mother is completely unreasonable," said a voice.

Eleven heads whipped around. Dillon, the oldest Hutchins child and the only boy, was standing in the doorway. Everyone stood up and backed away. Shelbie glared at her cousin.

"We didn't hear you standing up for Sara," she said.

"When you change shifts every five minutes, you're bound to miss stuff, so shut it, Shelbie."

"Hey, don't talk to my sister like that," Tara said as she and Dillon began a bickering match.

"Hey, hey. Hey!" yelled Kayla and the two fell silent. "You guys don't need to be in here if you're going to fight. Dillon, they're going to wonder where you've gone if you don't get back."

"You're not going to tell on us are you?" David asked.

Dillon looked like he was about to say that was exactly what he was going to do, but his gaze met Lexi's. "No, I'm not going to tell them, just be more discreet," he said softly. Everyone nodded.

The groups of kids continued to circulate and bring back information. Tara had reluctantly gone back to watch the little kids. At last it was Lexi's turn to go with the Hutchins girls again. They stepped down the stairs and resumed their positions of pressing their ears against the door.

"Alright," Henry, Justine's husband, was saying, "we all pretty much agree that Nick is as much at fault in the whole thing as Sara."

"That's true. I always taught my boy to know the people he slept with and be responsible about his actions. If he got carried away, it's his fault. She's not a devil," Jillian stated.

"Fine, but this brings us back to our second problem. If Sara took responsibility for her actions and told Nick, then he would've had the opportunity to take responsibility for his," said Bill.

"Now, wait a minute Bill. I don't think I can be upset anymore with Sara for not choosing to tell a man she'd known one day that she was having his child. Obviously she did take responsibility for her actions because Lexi's here today and she's just fine. I don't know if I would've called a man I hardly knew and asked him to be in my life."

"Yeah, Dad. We have to think about Sara here. This isn't just Nick's life that would've been disrupted. Sara managed to raise a kid and be successful. Who knows where she would've been if she had called him," Camille pointed out.

"Are you saying that Nick would've been bad for her?" He was beginning to turn red.

"No, Dad, I'm not, but think about it. If they had gotten married at twenty and tried to raise a kid together, do you think either of them would've gotten to where they are now?"

"We're getting nowhere with this," Jamie noted, "We've practically all had the same viewpoint for the last two hours. Arguing forever isn't going to help us. All we know about Sara is what we've heard from Nick or Lexi. Sara's been here a total of two days now. Let's give her a chance, okay? I mean you too, Dad."

Out in the hall, Lexi was smiling. She was glad that her Uncle Darren wasn't the only one who liked her mother. She was about to whisper something to Katie when she felt a large hand on her shoulder. She stiffened up. "They done yet?"

All four girls whirled around to face none other than Nicholas Stokes. "I, we, uh, we," stuttered Lexi.

"I know what you were doing, and it's okay. It's nice to have ears when I'm not here. Come outside with me, would you?"

The cousins went out the door and sat on the porch. "How was dinner?" Lexi asked.

"Let's get to that later," said Nick, "Right now I need to know the status on the meeting. Do I bring Sara in, or do we head for the hills?"

"Well, from the looks of it, the group leaning more toward liking her. Grandpa, Mom, Dad, Uncle Don, and Uncle Eric are all against her, but Dillon and everyone else, yes, even Grandma," Katie added at Nick's surprised face, "they're all for Sara."

"I'd say she has a definite chance to win them all over by the time you guys leave," added Ace, "The first thing they argued about was her vegetarianism."

"My father and his love of meats. Well, you guys get upstairs where you're supposed to be, before they figure out you've gone missing. I'm going to bring Sara in and be especially loud about it. Let's see how civilized everyone can be." Nick gave Lexi a quick hug and ushered them into the house. He hopped down the steps and out to the car.

* * *

**A/N: **As usual, please pour your hearts out to me. 


	18. Chapter 18

**Headliner**

Chapter 18

The sheet fell on the makeshift stage. All of the adults began to clap and cheer. Nick turned to Sara. "They do this all the time. Cousin Plays are the highlight of my trip when I come down here."

"That was funny. I tried to pick out Lexi amidst all of them, but I couldn't. Do you know which character she was?"

"Lexi hasn't performed yet. My guess is she's in the big closing."

"That wasn't the ending?"

"Oh no, they've got their finale left to do. It's usually a good one," Nick said. He pointed to the stage as the sheet was pulled up revealing three females standing in a kitchen scene. Two were standing in the middle while the third was off to the side holding a microphone.

"There she is!" Sara said.

"Yeah. The other two are Hutch and Ace. Ace is dressed as the boy. This ought to be interesting."

Music began to play as Ace danced around Hutch who sat down on a stool.

"It's all about you, it's all about you baby, it's all about you, it's all about you," sang Lexi while Ace mouthed the words. Sara's hands flew to her mouth. "Yesterday you asked me something I thought you knew. So I told you with a smile it's all about you. Then you whispered in my ear and you told me to say you make my life worthwhile it's all about you."

Ace danced around making actions that fit the words while Katie tapped her feet on the floor. "And I would answer all your wishes if you asked me to, but if you deny me one of your kisses, don't know what I'd do. So, hold me close and say three words like you used to do," at this, Katie jumped up and began to dance with Ace, "Dancing on the kitchen tiles, it's all about you, yeah."

Through the instrumental portion of the song, the three girls danced in circles. Lexi, pulled of the tie she had on and threw it into the crowd. It landed in her mother's lap. All of them then blew kisses to the audience. As the words began again, Lexi moved to the side and let Ace and Hutch continue to dance to the song, with Ace mouthing the words the entire time.

"And I would answer all your wishes if you asked me to, but if you deny me one of your kisses, don't know what I'd do. So hold me close and say three words like you used to do. Dancing on the kitchen tiles, yes you make my life worthwhile, so I told you with a smile, it's all about you. It's all about you baby, it's all about you, it's all about you baby. It's all about you, It's all about you baby. It's all about you, it's all about you. It's all about you." The girls finished and took a bow as the curtain closed. Lexi's smile lit up the room and Nick grinned at the thought that he always knew it would.

The adults all stood up and went to the back of the stage to hug their respective children. Sara felt a hand on her arm. It was Camille. "Sara, I just wanted to tell you that that's one talented kid you've got."

"Thanks. She loves performing. I've got tapes of her plays since she was in kindergarten. She's got one coming up before school starts. She's really excited."

"I'll bet. She really is good," Camille said and walked off to see her four kids.

Lexi ran up to Nick and Sara, still smiling. "Hey guys. Did you like it?"

Sara embraced her daughter. "Are you kidding? We loved it. You were great out there. How long did it take you all to come up with that?"

"We've been working on it all day."

"Did it take very long to convince Ace to draw on the mustache?" asked Nick.

"Nope. It took longer to get Katie into a dress, actually," Lexi said.

Nick laughed, "That doesn't surprise me. Come on, dinner's in the backyard."

* * *

Their flight was scheduled to leave at three that afternoon. The Stokes family had yet to have their second meeting, so Nick took Sara out to breakfast. The kids had all planned to spy again. This was the one that really counted. Lexi sat on the floor looking around at all her cousins. She really loved Texas. Here she felt like she fit in all the time. No one was hiding any huge secrets from anyone else. She did have to admit, though, that she missed her best friend greatly.

The ever-familiar group of the three Hutchins daughters and Alexis made their way down the stairs. They sat against the door and smiled as the meeting began.

"Okay, Lexi, Nick, and Sara go back to Las Vegas in eight hours, so let's make this quick," Jillian said, "Does anyone have anything to say?"

Leslie stood up, "I'll start. While I'm still not completely satisfied with the way she handled the situation," outside, Ace, Katie, and Lacey rolled their eyes, "I really do like Sara as a person. She's nice and smart and I think she'll keep Nick on his feet."

"That's true," said her husband Keith, "but he'll have a hard time roping that one in. She's got her own mind."

"I'm glad you two have finally come around," Jillian said and patted his knee, "but don't you worry. My Nicholas will figure out how to get her if he really wants her. I have a feeling Lexi would help the situation as well."

"Eric, do you have anything to say?" asked Camille.

"She's fine by me. She makes a really good salad, so I approve." Everyone laughed.

"I suppose it's my turn to assess the situation," came a gruff voice that the kids recognized as their grandfather, "After careful consideration, I too have decided that Sara Sidle is a worthwhile person. I do hope that she can convince her kid to become a Stokes though." More eye rolls followed outside the door. "Now, that we've all got that settled, I have one more order of business to take up with all of you." He walked over the side of the room and pulled open the large wooden door. In fell the four girls. They turned red and the adults laughed. "How on earth did we get caught?"

Nick and Sara came back to find the whole family in the sitting room. Bill called Nick over. "Nick, send Sara upstairs with Lexi to finish packing. I need to talk to you."

Nick told Sara and Lexi to finish packing and that he'd be right up. He noticed that Hailey, Justine, Tara, Shelbie, Katie, and Ace all joined them. Females and their social hours, he thought. He walked back over to his dad. "What do you need, Dad?"

"I'm sure you know we were having one of our discussions. You may not know that we all know that the kids eavesdrop on us. I saw a finger under the door partway through our conversation. They're busted, but then again, so are we. Anyway, I'd just like to tell you that our consensus is that Sara is a fine person and she's welcome here anytime."

* * *

Lexi walked down the line of people and gave each of them a hug. It was going to be sad, going back to Vegas, but because of the internet, she'd be able to keep in touch quite well. Nick also hugged his family and promised to call as soon as they arrived home. Sara thanked everyone for letting her stay and the three of them headed off toward security.

* * *

They piled their bags on the floor as soon as they entered their home. Lexi went straight to the phone to call Courtney and Nick reached for his cell to call his family. Sara picked up the suitcases and dragged them to their respective rooms. She then resolved to call Grissom and check up on how things were in the lab. He'd been curt with her since May, and it was already the first week of August. She was tired of his attitude and wanted him to realize that her having a life wasn't such a bad thing. How many times had he told her to get one?

"This is Grissom."

"Hey, Grissom, it's Sara. How're things?"

"Hi, Sara. Everything is fine. We've been busy, but we're getting through it. I think Catherine's about ready to collapse from a triple. How was your trip?"

"Oh it was great."

"That's good. When are you and Nick coming back to work?"

Sara was caught off guard by his lack of interest in her time away. "Oh, um, I guess tomorrow."

"Alright, I'll see you then." He clicked off the phone.

Sara stared at the phone for a moment before turning it off. What was his problem? True, he'd always been an introverted person, but usually he was good for at least a five minute conversation. At the lab there was one person who could get under his skin and make him spill. He'd even mentioned that person in their short conversation; it was Catherine. Sara dialed her number.

"Willows," she said obviously exhausted.

"Cath, it's Sara. I know you're tired, but can I ask you a favor?"

"Sure," Catherine answered, yawning.

"Sometime before work tomorrow night, could you talk to Grissom? I need you to ask him what his problem is. Ever since he found out about Alexis, he's been rude and will hardly talk to me. He doesn't seem to be bugged by Nick, but it's like I'm some disease."

"Okay, Sara, I'll talk to him. Believe me, by tomorrow night he'll be back to his regular self. You can trust me, but first, I've got to go home and get some sleep."

"Alright, thanks Catherine, really. It means a lot to me."

"Have a good night," said Catherine.

Sara hung up the phone and went to the kitchen where Nick had begun constructing a can pyramid, hoping that Catherine could really get through to Grissom.

* * *

**A/N: **This was the longest chapter I have written for this story. Go me. Well, please let me know what you thought. Oh yes, the song that Lexi sang was "All About You" by McFly. 


	19. Chapter 19

**A/N: Isabell89, **you asked for it a few chapters back, so here you go. ;) Enjoy chapter 19, everyone. And because I'm a sap and like you all so much, I decided to give you a second one today. You can thank me later. :)

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 19

As it turned out, Catherine was a very trustworthy person.

Sara sashayed into the crime lab the next night and went right to Grissom's office. He stood up as she entered. "Hello, Grissom. Do you have an assignment for me?"

He motioned to a chair. "In a minute Sara, would you please have a seat?"

Sara took a seat and crossed her left leg over her right. "What can I do for you, Grissom?"

"It has come to my attention that my behavior is causing problems. I'd like to apologize for anything that I've done in the past few months that upset you. It's unacceptable. Your personal life is your business and it's not my place to be judgemental."

Sara wrinkled her brows. "Thanks, I think."

"Now how about that case? Nick's with Catherine and you're with me. We've got a murder on Industrial Road. You want to drive, or should I?"

Grissom's change of heart seemed to be completely genuine, as he even offered to buy her breakfast when it came time.

* * *

Nick and Sara sat on the couch in his living room. While Sara lived there as well, she still thought of it as his place. The news flashed on the television screen and they watched to see what sort of turmoil the world was in today. Alexis stood in the kitchen making lunch. She stirred the potatoes and yammered on the phone to Courtney. Nick faced Sara, "She's so your daughter." 

"What's that supposed to mean, Mr. Stokes? I seem to remember you cooking and singing at the same time."

"So? She's known you longer, so it must be from you."

"Oh, sure. Hey, you want another beer?" she asked.

"You bet, although I don't think we should get completely wasted. We do have work tonight. And there's that kid of ours who probably wouldn't like having to clean our drool."

"Our drool? You may drool, but I sir, do not. Now be nice to me or you can get that beer for yourself." She returned a few moments later and set the bottles on coasters that sat on the table. Lexi brought over plates of spaghetti for them, still on the phone. She took her own lunch and went to her room, leaving Sara and Nick to their food.

"You know, Sara, I like you," Nick said through a mouthful of pasta.

"That's good, Nick. I would hate to live with someone who doesn't like me," she laughed.

"No, I don't think you understand. I've liked you for years. Practically since I've known you. You're cute."

Sara raised a brow and glanced at the table. His bottle of beer was nearly empty. "Nick, how many beers make you tipsy?"

"I don't actually know. Why?"

"You're rambling."

"No, I'm just telling you what I think. You're a nice person and I like you a lot. Probably more than Greg does."

"Greg flirts with everyone. If you think he likes me, then he loves Catherine."

"Oh, I bet he does, but that's beside the point. I really, really like you, Sara. I think we should move in together."

"Now I know you're drunk. We already live together, Nick. You, me, and Lexi all live in this house."

"Oh yeah. How about we take it up to the next step?" he said and turned to face her square on.

"And what would that be?" she asked.

She barely got the question out before he moved in and kissed her. A moment later, he pulled back, clearly embarrassed. Apparently, that's all it took to sober him up. Sara stared at her fork. "Here, I'll get that," he said and picked up her plate.

She sat silent, now staring at the coffee table. She remembered Brass telling her once that there were more problems than answers in the bottom of a bottle. How right he was. She stood up and walked over to the kitchen. Her eyes remained on the floor as she said, "I'm going to get a couple more hours of sleep before we have to be to work." She went to her room and shut the door.

Nick turned the faucet on and watched as the water washed away the red sauce from the plates. He shut it off and peered down the hallway to Sara's door. What had he done? If things weren't complicated already with the two of them living together trying to raise a kid, he had certainly made it so. He felt that he had clearly overstepped his boundaries. Would she stay around much longer? And if she left, would she take Alexis with her? So much for not getting too wasted.

Sara stared at the ceiling, picturing shapes in the textured wall, much like one would do with clouds. She knew there was no chance of getting any more sleep, but she had needed an excuse to get out of that room and think. When she first moved in with Nick, she had considered something like this happening. It was one of the reasons she was so hesitant to make the move. She didn't want their living together to jeopardize their friendship. Moreover, she didn't want it to jeopardize their careers. She couldn't, however, hold Nick in blame for what had happened. First of all, he was drunk. Men would do anything when intoxicated. And secondly, hadn't she herself grown fonder of him over the past few weeks? Nick had always been a good friend to her, but she felt that with the addition of a child, the exact makeup of their relationship was bound to change. After what had just gone on in the living room, she knew it had already started.

* * *

Nick and Sara took separate cars to work that night and avoided each other the entire time. Grissom was oblivious as usual, and Warrick was too caught up in his own relationship problems to notice a thing. Greg and Catherine both saw that something was up. Sara wasn't her usual self and it bothered Greg. Catherine viewed the bigger picture. She noticed the tension between Nick and Sara and guessed that they had either had a fight or some other sort of embarrassing moment. 

Catherine watched as Nick made his way to the locker room looking rather sullen. She pulled off her glasses and followed him. She was going to get to the bottom of this.

* * *

**A/N2: **I would appreciate your words of wisdom. 


	20. Chapter 20

**Headliner**

Chapter 20

"Hey, Nicky how is everything?" Catherine asked her co-worker and friend.

"Oh, I'm fine. Everything is fine," he responded.

"You must be terrible at poker. I could tell right away that you are lying. Why don't you tell me what the real problem is?"

"Cath, sorry, but I don't think you'd understand."

"Nick, Nick, I can tell that it is something between you and Sara. This means it's girl trouble for you. I'm a girl and I'm lending you my ears and my insight. Use them."

"Alright. I was sitting on the couch with Sara this afternoon. We were eating spaghetti and drinking beer," he said slowly.

"Uh oh," said Catherine at the mention of alcohol.

"'Uh oh' is right. I started talking about her and how Greg loves you and then I kissed her."

"We'll get to Greg later, but right now, I have to ask you what on earth you were thinking when you kissed her."

"I don't think I was thinking."

"That's a pretty safe bet. How did she react?" Catherine inquired.

"She got up and went to her room. We took separate cars here and I haven't spoken to her since."

"Okay, Nick, it's time to hit on the big thing. Are you sorry you kissed her?"

"Not exactly. I'm sorrier for how I did it. I really do like her."

"Well, good for you. You've got a lot in common, especially with the kid. Now, give her a little time to sort her own feelings out, but you've got to talk to her eventually. Make sure you're careful about office politics though. Grissom up your ass is the last thing you need."

"No kidding."

She rubbed his shoulder and got up to leave. She reached the doorway and held up a finger. "One second. What was the whole thing about Greg loving me?"

* * *

Nick spent the rest of the time trying to come up with what exactly to say to Sara. As he told Catherine, he didn't want to apologize for what he'd done so much as the manner in which it had happened. He needed to be sure he talked to her before it somehow managed to get to Lexi. He wasn't sure how his daughter would take the news and he certainly didn't want to upset her. He sent Sara a text message instead of calling her so she wouldn't have to talk to him until she was ready. It simply asked her to call him when she got time. He really needed to have a conversation with her.

Sara used her shift to get through a pile of paperwork. She moved around the lab a lot as to avoid Greg and his endless questioning. She knew he would never give up; it wasn't his style. When she felt the buzz of her cell-phone and read Nick's message, she gave a small sigh. She knew he had to be beating himself up inside and out. Nick wasn't one to act rashly, and his heart—and his beer—had gotten the better of him. She too, realized they had to speak about the incident, but she really had no idea what to say.

* * *

About an hour before the end of shift, Sara called Nick's cell and was relieved that he didn't answer. It would be much easier to talk to an answering machine than a real person at this point. She told him that Lexi was going to be gone all day, so they'd have the house to talk. She hoped the call would be somewhat of an olive branch and they could get to the bottom of the whole situation.

Nick checked his messages as he drove home. He listened to Sara's and felt a slight pang of nervousness. He'd come up with an entire speech, but he had a feeling it would all disappear once he actually saw her. Her car wasn't in the driveway when he pulled up. He exited the Denali and pressed the automatic lock. He grabbed the mail and smiled at a letter addressed to him and Sara as the parents of Alexis Sidle. It was information on the upcoming school year. He tossed the envelopes on the table, not caring that the pile was no longer neat and tidy.

Sara walked in five minutes later as he was pouring liquid into two glasses. He saw her concerned look. "It's just club soda. I figured we could do without alcohol tonight." She nodded appreciatively and placed her keys into the leaf-shaped dish she had brought over from her house several weeks before.

She took a seat on the couch and he brought over the glasses to join her. "Nick," she began but he cut in.

"Sara, I," he paused while she interrupted him right back.

"Don't apologize, Nick. Don't lie to me and tell me you're sorry for what you did, because I know you're not. Apologizing for that would be like apologizing for Texas sixteen years ago; there'd be no point."

"Sara, I won't apologize for what I did, but I have to apologize for the way it happened. I shouldn't have just jumped in and did that. It was wrong."

"Maybe you shouldn't have done it, but I'm glad you did."

Nick found himself smiling at the brunette sitting next to him. This was the last thing he had expected. "What? You're glad I did it?"

"Nick, you're an amazing guy. You've never done me wrong, not really. Sure, we've squabbled over the years, but who hasn't. I've never wanted to kill you and I don't think you've wanted to kill me. We've got an amazing kid who loves us both to death. We live in the same house. It was bound to happen eventually."

"And you're okay with that?"

"Sure."

"So my drunken rambling…"

"Is completely excused now."

Nick leaned in to give her a kiss on the cheek, but Sara held up her hand.

"What? Too fast?"

"Nick, before we take this any further we have to consider one thing: Alexis. We need to make sure that she is okay with this. As nice as you are, she is my number one responsibility. If anything happened between us—good or bad—it would directly affect her."

"Alright," Nick said as he rolled off the couch, "but let's talk to her soon, okay?"

Sara laughed and slapped him on the back.

* * *

**A/N: **You can guess what I want to tell you to do next. Thanks much. 


	21. Chapter 21

**A/N: **Two in one day! Yeehaw. Oh yes, and here is a completely pointless sidenote: Don't go swimming at 12:30 in the afternoon for four hours without sunscreen. The consequences are not entertaining. And now presenting chapter twenty one...

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 21

Alexis was biting the inside of her cheeks to keep from smiling. Keeping a straight face had never been so hard. She tried to act calm as her mother and father took turns explaining to her their newfound relationship.

"Lexi, over the weeks we've been living together, we've all become a closer family, don't you think?" Sara asked. Lexi nodded.

"Just as you've come to love each of us even more, we've realized that we like each other a lot more too," Nick said. Lexi nodded again.

"While we understand that we would all be taking a big risk if this thing grows too much, it's one we're willing to take," said Sara, "That is, we're willing if you are too."

"Your mother and I both care about you very much and we wouldn't want to make you uncomfortable, so this is entirely up to you."

Lexi put on her best faux-quizzical face. "So you guys would go on dates and stuff?"

"That's the idea," Sara responded.

"I think I'm okay with that," Lexi asserted. Sara and Nick each gave her a hug and she hopped off the stool and waltzed nonchalantly to her room.

Nick was about to speak, but Sara covered his mouth with her hand and shushed him. They stood paused for a moment and then they heard it. Inside her bedroom, Lexi was squealing.

She jumped up and down on the floor and made her way to the stereo before turning on some celebratory music. She wished she'd been a gymnast. Then she could do what she felt like, a series of back flips, all around her room. As soon as she had calmed down somewhat, she picked up the phone. She had two very important calls to make. The first would be to Courtney, the second to Lindsey.

* * *

Nick and Sara soon found that dating was not much different than the way they already acted around each other. They had always gone out for meals; they just did it more often now. Of course, now, they showed their affection more often. They also realized that their daughter was very mischievous. It had occurred to her that if Sara had kept her daughter a secret, that they were probably keeping the relationship under wraps as well. Lexi would not have this. 

One evening, Sara and Nick sat on the couch watching a movie. Lexi picked up the digital camera and snuck over to the back of the sofa. As soon as they moved to kiss, Lexi popped up and snapped a picture. She ran off and propped a chair under her door before either one had realized what happened. She had proceeded to upload the picture on her computer and send it to the one person who would make sure it got around: Greg. She was only slightly hesitant to press the send button because of Nick. After all, he hadn't done anything wrong. But of course, her desire to keep her mother from hiding anything was stronger and she clicked away.

Greg, as it seemed, had different plans than posting the picture all over the lab. He wanted to personally confront each of them on the issue and make a big deal about it hurting his feelings that they hadn't told him. He'd never been an actor, but this could be fun. He was ready for them in the break room when they arrived the next night.

* * *

Sara and Nick arrived at the lab side by side. They planned on being completely professional at work. They wanted to do no damage to their careers. Neither one could afford to lose the job. Sara walked into the break room and headed straight over to the coffee pot. She took a swig and grimaced. Lab coffee. "Greg, why don't you make a batch of your good stuff?" she asked. 

He stood up and placed his hand over his heart. "I want to, Sara, I really do, but I'm hurt." He patted his chest for extra emphasis. "There's a pain right there and I don't think it's going to go away." He placed his extra hand on his forehead and pretended to faint into his chair. Nick came in to see the last of the act.

"What's with the drama queen?" he asked.

Sara stopped him as he picked up a mug. "It's not good coffee. He's hurt or something. It's really quite funny."

Greg jumped up. "Sara, must you taunt a man in pain? Must you add to the misery you have already caused?"

Seeing that he was obviously not going to give this up she said, "Okay Greg, what have I done?"

"Word through the grapevine is that you've thrown in your towel and decided to date this guy," he said jabbing a finger at Nick.

Sara carefully avoided Nick's eyes. "What would give you that impression?"

"It's just what I heard," he stated in a breathy voice. He whipped a small piece of paper out of his pocket. "Oh, and of course, there's this." He handed it to Nick. "I really thought you loved me, Sara. It's just so devastating to find out this way. I guess I'm going to have to go back to sleeping with Catherine. Not that that's a bad thing," he added winking at Nick. He picked up an apple and tossed it from hand to hand. He was grinning devilishly as he left.

Nick unfolded the slip of paper and knew what it was immediately. "Well, at least we know whose side she's on," Nick said as he placed the paper into Sara's hand. He got coffee, cringed, and left the room.

Sara rolled her eyes at the picture, decided to call Lexi later, and threw it in the trash. She walked out the door and got a few steps before rushing back in. She picked the paper back up and shoved it in her pocket. It was better that less people saw it. They'd all know soon enough from Greg anyway. She wondered how many of these he printed out. She sighed as she saw him down the hall chatting with Catherine. He looked back at her with his eyes twinkling.

* * *

**A/N: **I'm quite happy with this chapter. It's not a cliff-hanger really, so it'll give you time to relax. Tell me what's on your mind. 


	22. Chapter 22

**A/N: **The general consensus seems to be that Greg's antics were a hoot. I'm so glad you liked his little scene. I know I enjoyed writing it.

* * *

**Headliner**

Chapter 22

Greg Sanders was a man who liked to know his butt was covered. This is why as soon as he finished with Nick and Sara he headed out to talk to Catherine. He knew that if she found out about his story from someone else, she'd be mad. And nothing was worse than an angry Catherine. Nothing.

By the end of the day, less people knew than Sara had expected. Of course the rest of the shift knew—minus Grissom, but no one else seemed to have any idea. Still, this did not calm her nerves. No, she knew that Greg had something under his sleeve. That's just who he was.

Nick found Sara in the locker room. He sauntered over and gave her a quick peck on the cheek.

"Aww, you two really look nice together," Catherine said.

They spun around to look at their colleague. "Thanks Cath. We didn't really want it out this soon, but Alexis and Greg had other plans," Sara mentioned.

"I figured he had an accomplice in all this. Well, congratulations guys. I've got to get home to my kid. She's been especially good lately and I think she wants something."

They said good-bye and followed her out the door not two minutes later. It was seven in the morning. They knew Lexi would still be sleeping and decided to pick something up for breakfast.

* * *

The house was quiet as they made their way in and placed their keys into the dish. Nick set out the meal while Sara showered. It hit him, when she walked back into the kitchen smelling like lavender, just how much he really liked her. It was becoming love fast. Down the hall they could hear Lexi stirring. Sara kissed him just before she came out. 

"So Nick," Sara said as she passed Lexi a plate of pancakes, "how long do you think we should ground Alexis for the little stunt she pulled with the picture?"

Lexi opened her mouth to protest, but Nick cut her off. "I don't know, Sara, I'm leaning towards a month, but maybe two would be better."

"Two months?" Lexi gaped.

"Yeah, Lexi's right. I was thinking more like three," Sara said.

"Now wait a minute," Lexi whined, "All I did was take a picture. That is no reason to punish someone."

"Yeah, you took a picture and sent it to Greg, knowing full well what he was going to do with it," Nick pointed out.

"No I didn't. I just sent it to him because it was a cute picture. How was I supposed to know you hadn't already told them? I guess I should've known," she said to Sara, "you like to keep everything secret."

"She has a point there," Nick said through a bite of bacon.

"Oh she does, does she?" Sara picked up a piece of bacon and chucked it at his head.

Lexi watched the whole thing as if it was in slow motion. The bacon hit the bridge of his nose and then fell to his plate. The room was still for a second before Nick slowly rose. He put his palm underneath the plate of pancakes. Grasping the plate with his other hand as well, he pushed it Sara's direction and twelve pancakes flew at her. Lexi's hands flew to her mouth as Sara poised herself for retaliation. In a blink of an eye, the atmosphere turned from breakfast to war. The pitcher of orange juice glided across the table and landed in Nick's lap. He tossed the cup of maple syrup her direction. Soon Sara's hair was filled with goop. Lexi backed away from the table wide-eyed. Sara reached for the bowl of scrambled eggs and Alexis ran to her room, screaming. Sara grinned and thrust the bowl at Nick. He tried to duck, but was too slow. The bowl ricocheted off his shoulder and hit the wall, splattering eggs everywhere. Nick stood up and walked to the kitchen leaving Sara quite smug. She planned on telling everyone at the lab how she had beat him in a food fight. It was then that she felt it.

A long stream of cold liquid ran down her back. She jumped up and knocked the milk jug out of his hand. It crashed onto the floor and she dashed into the kitchen. She turned the faucet on and grabbed the sprayer. Water showered him. Nick reached down and picked up the jug that had a little milk left in it. He ran over and threw it. She turned the sprayer towards him. He tried to leap at her, but slipped on the liquid and slid right into her. They fell onto the floor with their legs in the air.

"Ow, ow, ow!" Sara screamed, "Would you mind getting off my shoulder?"

Nick lifted his elbow and grabbed the sprayer, shooting her in the face. He tried to stand but she got a hold of his pant leg and yanked him back to the ground. They erupted into fits of laughter. Nick leaned over her and wiped the sticky hair from her eyes. Their gazes met and the laughter ceased. Lexi, who had snuck back in after the ruckus stopped, peered over the counter, grinning madly.

"You know, Sara, you really are beautiful," Nick said.

"I'm covered in breakfast food; how can you say that?"

"Because it's true." He leaned in closer and kissed her.

Lexi couldn't help but squeal.

"Now she chooses to show up," Sara complained and sent a stream of water at Lexi who ran back to her room.

Nick stood up and held out his hand to Sara. She took it and he pulled her up. "Come on," he said, "let's get this cleaned up."

* * *

Sara was on her hands and knees scrubbing at the tile floor. Her hair was plastered to the side of her face from the syrup. Nick was still wet from the water and orange juice. He picked up egg pieces from the floor and wall. 

"Next time I decide to throw bacon at someone, remind me of this," Sara said, pulling a strand of sticky hair from her mouth.

"You got it. And next time I joke with you, remind me to make sure there's no food around. You're dangerous."

She had an urge to repeat their earlier scene, but thought better of it. Instead, she just stuck out her tongue.

* * *

Sara climbed into bed at noon clearly worn down. Her hair was sopping wet from her shower; she'd had no strength to dry it off. She fell into a deep dream-filled sleep.

* * *

She was in a crowded room dressed in a white gown. She had a bouquet of red flowers in her hands. She smiled as she walked down a red carpet with her arm linked with Grissom's. She was ecstatic that he felt like giving her away. He was so caring, so understanding. She reached the altar and turned to the man she was meant to marry. Nick lifted up her veil and frowned. Sara looked at him, confounded. Nick turned to face the preacher as he began to speak. When the preacher asked Nick if he would take her to be his wife, he looked back at her once more, squinted his eyes and said, "Nope, sorry, I can't. She's just too gross. You want her, Grissom? I love someone else. Catherine, come here please!" 

Grissom grimaced and turned away. He didn't want her either. She felt tears welling in her eyes as Nick and Catherine engaged in a passionate kiss. The crowd applauded and left Sara feeling miserable. She held her head in her hands. The cheering stopped and she looked up. She was no longer in the church.

She was ten years old, her brother fifteen. They stood atop a cliff next to their mother. Their father was in the background smiling. Her mother encouraged them to scoot closer to the cliff, to prove they weren't scared. Little Sara was trembling. She didn't want to take another step, but at a wave from her smiling father, she moved forward. Now she and her brother stood at the edge of the cliff with their toes less than an inch from the edge. She looked up at her mother hoping for a sign that it was okay for them to step back onto sturdier ground. It never came. Instead, her mother inched forward as well. She held out her hand and Sara reached to take it. Just as her hand wrapped around her mother's finger, another hand shoved her hard. As she fell downward she heard her mother yell from above, "We like him better!"

* * *

Sara woke up drenched in a cold sweat, panting hard. She stared at the clock; she had only been asleep forty-five minutes. She closed her eyes, but her mind once again filled with visions of her mother's face as she fell down the cliff and Catherine and Nick kissing. She pulled herself out of bed, thinking that a drink of water might help her calm down. She could still smell the Clorox she had been using to clean the floors. It almost made her sick to her stomach. She poured a glass of water and walked slowly back to her room; the terror of the dream still resided within her soul. Suddenly she became overrun with emotion and collapsed onto her bed. She shuddered through her sobs. 

She felt a warm arm cover her side. It was Nick and his voice was soothing. "Shh," he whispered, "it's alright, honey; I'm here."

* * *

**A/N2: **Poor Sara, yes? Well, this was another long one. Hope you liked it. Tell me, please. 


	23. Chapter 23

**Headliner**

Chapter 23

Nick stroked the top of Sara's head as she cried. He had been having a dream of his own. He was playing major league baseball with the Chicago Cubs when out of nowhere, the third baseman started weeping. Soon the tears became too much and he awoke, only to find it wasn't his dream. Someone was really crying. His first thought was to check on Lexi, but he heard her playing her music and singing along. No, these tears must've belonged to someone else in the house. As he neared her room, the noise got louder. It was definitely Sara who was crying.

He was instantly fearful as he saw her body racked with sobs. He had no clue what had upset her and he didn't dare ask, so he chose to comfort her and began stroking her hair. She finally fell asleep about two in the afternoon. She didn't stir and he hoped she wasn't having any nightmares. He wondered if that was what had thrown her into distress.

Sara awoke at six and groaned. She had to be at work in two and a half hours. She threw the covers back and was surprised to hear a grunt. She rolled over and saw that Nick was sleeping next to her. She vaguely remembered him coming a few hours earlier when she was crying. _Great, _she thought, _he probably thinks I'm a major wuss. That's just what I need. _She sighed and got up. She set her alarm for Nick's sake for fifteen minutes later and went to the bathroom to get ready for the work night.

Nick drove in a hated silence. He really didn't like how often they seemed to have nothing to say to each other on the ride over. "So," he started.

"I don't want to talk about it," she snapped.

"I wasn't going to ask you anything about whatever you're thinking about, Sara. I was just going to ask if you thought Grissom would have anything tough for us tonight."

"Oh. Sorry, I'm a little tired. I hope he doesn't have anything too difficult. Hey, Nick, I'm telling him tonight, before Greg does. He's just started getting off my back and I don't want to upset him anymore."

"That's fine with me. I don't want him mad at me either. Sar, Lexi's got her school thing tomorrow. If you want to get some sleep, I'll go. I don't mind."

"No, I want to go. She's my kid." At Nick's downfallen look she shook her head. "I'll think about it. Ask me after work."

* * *

Sara's mood during work did not improve any. In fact, it got worse. She snapped at everyone more than once. They were all quite fed up with her as the shift wound down. She had put Greg in a foul place and no amount of begging would get him to make a pot of his special coffee. Nick had given up trying to be civil with her. He convinced Warrick to take him out to breakfast and gave Sara the keys. 

"What's this for?" she asked.

"I'm going out and you need a way to get home. I'll be there later."

"It's not like we're married; you can do whatever you want."

Nick was puzzled by the remark but he didn't press the matter. He didn't see the need to indulge in another argument. He sighed and walked off.

He came home later that morning to a dim house although the living room wasn't empty. Sara sat with her eyes closed on the sofa, a bottle of beer in her hand. Apparently she'd heard him coming. "There's more in the fridge if you want one," she mumbled.

"No thanks. I've got to take Lexi to her school in about six hours."

"About that," Sara said raising a finger in the air, "I don't think I'm going to that. I'm going to stay here and sleep."

"That's probably a good idea." He glanced at the trash can next to the coffee table and couldn't help but notice the empty bottles. "Hey Sara, how many of those have you had?"

"Just three," she said holding up four fingers, "Oh, plus two, so six?"

"Close enough," he stated. "You about ready to go to bed?"

"Me, sleep with you? I don't think so Nick. What would Catherine think?"

"First of all, I meant you sleeping in your own bed, and secondly, who cares what Catherine thinks?"

"I do. I know she doesn't like to be cheated on and I wouldn't want you to make a mistake."

He knew she was drunk and probably wouldn't remember much of the conversation later, but he couldn't ignore the insane comments. "Sara, what are you talking about?"

"Our wedding, Nick, our wedding. Remember?"

"Actually, no. Why don't you describe it to me?"

"Men are so forgetful," she complained, "Alright, we were getting married. Grissom was giving me away; it was so sweet. But you, you left me at the altar and started making out with Catherine. You offered to let Grissom have me, but even he said no. Surely that rings a few bells." She poked at the side of her head. "Of course, the after party was worse when my mom pushed me off a cliff. All because my brother was just like her. Parents, what can you do with them?"

Nick stood by the couch, stunned. She could not be making this up as she went along. This must've been the bad dream that had her so wound up yesterday. In her drunken state she must've thought everything was true. When she was sober she must be thinking it would come to be true, at least the part about the wedding. He had no idea where the cliff came from. All at once he felt like such an idiot for ignoring her today. Granted she was in a pissy mood, but he should've tried harder to get to the bottom of it instead of brushing it off.

He looked down at her, only to realize she was fast asleep. He checked the time. It was nearing seven-thirty. He didn't want Alexis to wake up and see her mother like this, so he placed his arms gently underneath Sara and carried her to her room. As he laid her on the bed, she stirred a little and wrapped her arms around his neck. "You're so good to me," she whispered, smelling his hair. Nick stepped back out of the room and slowly shut the door.

She did not sleep peacefully. There were no dreams, but she was tormented by the ever-nagging thought that she had done something completely ridiculous. She knew it had to have been something to do with Nick because his face kept coming to her mind, but as she as fully dressed and not at all mussed up, she could assume they hadn't done anything _too _dramatic. Strangely, she couldn't remember Nick participating in the insanity. No, this was something she had done all alone.

She closed her eyes to rethink back on they day's events. She shouted at Nick, Greg, Catherine, and Warrick countless times. She'd been so busy biting their heads off that she hadn't done what she was planning, telling Grissom about the relationship. She had driven home alone. Nick needed space, most likely from her. Lexi was sleeping and so she'd gone straight to the fridge and grabbed the first thing she saw: beer. Nick had an abundance of it. She knew she should avoid it; it always got her into trouble, but the brew was calling on her. By the fourth one, she was no longer in control. She vaguely remembered Nick coming home, but she couldn't recall the time. He had tried to talk to her, but she had initiated the conversation. He had become concerned, almost fearful, at something she had said.

She racked her brain, trying to grasp just what she had said. She was overcome with frustration and sat up in her bed. She reached for the remote on the bedside table and flipped on the television. She clicked through the channels and paused when she reached one showing a beautiful garden. It was then that she saw it. A bride walked down the aisle with her father at her side. Sara instantly remembered telling Nick about her dream, although she had really accused him of leaving her at the altar. She jumped out of bed and ran from the room.

She covered her ears when she found Nick in the kitchen. He was throwing bottles into the trash and the sound amplified inside her skull. "Hey, you want to stop that for a sec?" she asked.

"Oh, sorry. I thought you were sleeping," he said rather unenthusiastically.

"I was, kind of. Nick, I'm not jealous of Catherine."

He gave a quick laugh. "That's good. I'm not jealous of her either. Now that we've got that settled," he trailed off.

"And I don't want Grissom to marry me."

"Okay. I'll let him know tonight."

She frowned at his lack of understanding. "That stuff that I told you about today, none of it was true."

"I figured as much. Sara, I'm throwing away all of the beer. All it does is get one of us in trouble." He continued to pull bottles out of the fridge and set them into the can, so as not to make so much noise.

"Nick, my mother killed my father."

He dropped a bottle and it missed the trashcan, shattering into tiny pieces, sending alcohol all over. "We just can't keep this kitchen clean can we? Come over here," he said taking her hand, "and talk to me."

"I was a lot younger than I am now, and my mother got pissed. They fought all the time and he hit her. She had taken the abuse for the last time and stabbed him. He died. They took her away and I haven't seen her since."

He embraced her slowly. "Sara, I'm so sorry. No one deserves having to go through that. No one. We've got a bigger problem here, don't we?"  
"What do you mean?"

"All of your talk about me leaving you at the altar for Catherine isn't just a dream, is it?"

"I don't want to talk about it right now."

He got up and grabbed the broom and dust pan. "Fine, but we're going to have to deal with it sooner or later. Something's bothering you and you're going to have to tell me. This thing we're doing, you and me, it's only going to work if we're honest with each other."

She nodded and walked back to her room. He sighed and began to clean the broken glass.

* * *

**A/N: **Let me know your thoughts please. 


	24. Chapter 24

**A/N: **Here's chapter 24 of "cliched plot line #2434243". Enjoy

**Headliner**

Chapter 24

Nick had dragged himself to bed after cleaning the mess he'd made in the kitchen and tried not to think about Sara. It was very near impossible. His mind was wrapped around two people at all times lately. The first was Lexi, the second, Sara. He set the alarm for eleven-thirty. That gave him some sleep and plenty of time for a quick shower before taking Lexi to register for her junior year of high school. He knew that through all of the acting like she dreaded the second she had to return to the building she really did miss her friends.

Lexi stared at herself in the mirror. She scrunched up her face and stuck out her lips. "How very Angelina Jolie of me," she said and went back to primping. She had her hair up and then down and back up again. The song on her CD player changed to "Party for Two" and she started jumping up and down. She grabbed her brush off the dresser and sang along. She heard a knock and dropped the brush mid-jump. She put her hands behind her back and faced her mother.

"Having fun?" Sara asked on the verge of laughter.

"If you're going to tease me, you can leave." Sara turned to walk out. "Of course you can always come help me with my hair!"

Sara came back in and took hold of the brush. "What do you want?"

"I don't care, anything. Just make it look good. Hey Mom, are you coming today, because you can't go looking like that."

"Lex, I think your dad's just going to take you. I've got some stuff to do that I really can't put off. Besides, I've gone with you for the past eleven grades. Let's give him one, alright?"

"You got it," she replied.

Nick came in just as Sara was putting the finishing touches on Lexi's bun. He glanced first at Sara but quickly averted his eyes. "Hey, you almost ready?"

"Yep," she piped, jumping off the bed. Sara got up and fumbled with the hair supplies. Nick stayed behind for a moment but Lexi grabbed his hand and pulled him into the hallway. "Come on, Dad, we can't be late."

"So this is your high school?" he asked when they arrived.

"This is it."

"You know, your mom worked a case here once. Eviscerated cheerleader."

"That's really gross. I vote you leave that out of any small talk that you give today. Especially since some of my friends are cheerleaders. I don't want their parents freaking out."

"Alright, so job talk is out."

"Exactly."

They stood in the line as it moved forward very slowly. Lexi finally got her schedule and groaned. "What? Did they mess it up?" Nick asked, concerned.

"No. I got Hagermeister for math. Nobody likes him. At least I got Jenkins for chemistry. That should make school a bit more enjoyable." She gave a small squeal. "Oh, here comes Katrinne and her mom. Act normal."

"Lexi!" the girl screamed and ran up to hug her friend. "Hey, who's the hunk?"

Nick had overheard and turned away, grinning. Lexi, however, just rolled her eyes. "That's my dad."

"Right, the mysterious father. I heard about that. He's cute."

"My mom sure thinks so." They chatted for a few minutes until Lexi heard the parents' conversation get moved to occupations. She really wanted to end it before the eviscerated cheerleader thing got brought up. They continued down the line of tables and soon made it out to the car.

Once inside, Nick asked Lexi, "Hey, I did okay in there, right?"

"You were going on just fine until you brought up the cheerleader with Mrs. Nesten."

"It just slipped out."

"Lucky for you, she's a teacher here so she already knew about that. Don't worry; you're still welcome to come next year. Oh yeah, you're even more welcome to drive me to school the first day."

"Don't you have a license?"

"Yeah, but I don't have a car. It's proven to be quite problematic at times."

"I bet."

* * *

Lexi chose to spend the rest of the day calling her friends and comparing schedules. Nick knew there was no point in trying to sleep any more, so he lounged on the couch watching a baseball game. Sara remained in her room. 

She was pacing. She had opened the door a crack several times only to close it once more. She knew she had to talk to Nick; she knew he deserved to know the truth; she just didn't know how to say it. She opened the door and stepped out into the hallway. She was about to return to her room when she heard a cough and whirled around. "Need something?" Nick asked.

"I, uh, I, no, I'm fine." She went into her room only to feel like an idiot. She walked out and stood at the edge of the couch. "I'm ready to talk."

He shifted in his seat to make room for her. He patted the cushion and she sat down, doing her best to avoid his gaze. "Okay, you want to tell me what's been bothering you?"

"Nick, I haven't been in a relationship for a long time. The truth is I've been pining. I've been hoping Grissom would wake up and see what was in front of his face. I was content to wait until the end of time. Then this whole business with Lexi came out and I was forced to see you in a different light. You were no longer Nick the Cowboy who flirts with all the girls, you were Nick the Father. Then you asked me to move in with you and I did. And now we've got this. I'm scared to death, Nick. I don't know where to go from here."

"Sara, this is new for me too. I've had girlfriends, but never one who was the mother of my kid. We're going to have to take this thing a step at a time. No one said it was going to be easy, but if we try, we can make it good. Based on the reactions we get every day, I'd say Lexi really wants this to happen and I agree with her. I really want this to happen. I like you, Sara. I like you a lot."

"I like you too."

"Good. And now that we've gotten through the sixth grade part of this, what was with the whole dream? Do you not trust me? Sara, I don't like anyone other than you, I promise. Catherine's a good person and everything, but she's Warrick's unofficial girl. He just doesn't know it."

"Of course I trust you. It was just a dream. If anything, I don't trust myself. I've been burned in the past and it's going to take awhile to trust that I'm making a good choice. And see, that sounds wrong. I don't know how to explain it. I'm a scientist and I can't find the answer. That's a dangerous spot to be."

"Listen to me. You have nothing to be afraid of. I'm here for you. Me and Lexi are here for you. That girl has loved you for sixteen years and I don't think she's going to stop. You've got to promise me this though: If you ever need anything, if you are ever unsure about anything, you've got to tell me. I can only help if you let me. Okay?"

She could feel the tears coming to her eyes and fought them back hard. She nodded and reached over to give him a hug. In that moment she felt the comfort wash over her. In that moment she knew she was right where she was supposed to be.

* * *

Sara leaned against the wall. She closed her eyes and took several deep breaths. It was nearing the moment of truth. Although she had been quite adamant about telling Grissom when she talked to Nick, she felt dread welling inside her. Grissom had been much more of himself lately and she had a faint fear that this news would bring him back to his surly self. She hoped that if that was the case he'd be mad at Nick too. Then she'd have someone to share her pain with. 

Shift was going to start in two minutes so she had to act now. She had overheard a conversation between Lexi and Greg on the phone and figured they had something drastic planned. She needed to get there first. She pulled open the door and walked right in. Grissom rose from his chair but she waved him down. "No, sit. I need to talk to you right now."

He appeared concerned for a moment but shrugged it off as her merely asking for more vacation time. She did that a lot. "What can I do for you?"

"I have something very important to tell you. While I know it's generally frowned upon and that office politics come into concern, I really feel like I'm doing the right thing. I'm happier than I have been in a long time and I don't want that to change. I'm not asking for your blessing in this situation, but rather that you can see where I'm coming from. We've had our differences in the past, but this is something that I have to do. No ifs, ands, or buts."

He raised a brow. This was definitely not about vacation. "What is it, Sara?"

"I'm dating someone."

"Okay."

"I'm dating Nick."

"Ahh, I see." He leaned back in his chair and she raised her hands.

"What? 'I see.' That's all you can come up with? Come on, Grissom, I told you something really big here and I need something more than that."

"I approve, but be careful."

"You approve? I don't understand."

"Sara, what do you want from me? Do you want me to scream and yell and tell you that you can't date Nick because Ecklie will get upset? I don't want to do that. It has come to my attention recently that you and Nick share something other than a relationship and that thing is a kid. It's only natural that you would experiment with a relationship. People do it every day. Granted they usually date and then have the kid, but you're getting there one way or another. Plus, I'm feeling generous today. My new bug book shipment came in. Now go, I have to get ready to start shift."

She sat in the chair for another moment just staring at this man who confused her so many times. She was about to leave when a breathless Greg ran in. "Grissom! Grissom, I have a joke for you."

"Greg, I don't have time for this. Shift starts in, oh, three minutes ago."

"It'll be quick. What do you get when you cross a picture taken on a couch with two angry co-workers?"

"I don't know, Greg, what?"

"Nick and Sara dating. And get this, it's not a joke, they really are."

"He knows, Greg," Sara said.

"He does? You do?"

"I just told him."

"Great. Thanks, ruin all my fun, Sara."

"Can we go? I've got to start shift," Grissom said shooing them from the office.

* * *

"Your mom and dad don't mind you being out here when it's dark?" he asked her. 

She stared up at the star filled sky and grinned. "Nope. That may be because they're not home, though."

"So they could come home any minute, find me, and have me arrested?"

"No. They work nights so they won't be in until at least two. Oh, and believe me, they wouldn't have you arrested."

"Really?"

"No. They'd kill you themselves and hide the body. You'd never be found. They investigate and solve crimes for a living. You'd have no chance."

"Thanks for the pep talk, Lexi."

"No problem, Luke. Did I mention I have a cousin named Luke?"

"Only about twelve times since you got back from your trip the first time."

"I can't help it. It's a habit."

He leaned over her. "I've noticed." He kissed her and lied back on the grass. "The stars are pretty. Just like you."

"Oh no. I think they're handsome. Just like you."

"You're funny, you know that?"

"I had a pretty good idea."

He kissed her again and pulled her up. He held her hand as they went for a walk around the neighborhood. Lexi was secretly on the lookout for any of her parents' cop friends. She did not want this night ruined.

* * *

**A/N: **Well that was by far the longest chapter I've ever written. I could've split it in two, but because that would've taken me too much time, I left it as it was. Buzz me with your thoughts please. 


	25. Chapter 25

**Headliner**

Chapter 25

It was one in the morning before Lexi and Luke snuck back through the streets to her house. Both walked cautiously to avoid police as it was past curfew. She kissed him once more before opening the door to her still empty house. The adrenaline rush of being out late was gone and in its wake was a sense of loneliness. At sixteen there wasn't much her parents could hide from her as far as the dangers of their job. She knew, partly because of Lindsey, about all of the attacks that had occurred and it scared her. The worst of them seemed to have happened to Nick. Truth be told, she hated being home alone sometimes. She would picture life without her parents and it was frightening. She liked it when she was younger and her mom had worked during the day. They were home at the same time. She always felt safe. As she stared into the living room with its cloak of silence, she didn't know what she felt.

Her bed was inviting and she climbed into it willingly. Before shutting her eyes, she glanced at the calendar that hung just above her desk. _Only six days left, _she thought, _and then it's off to school again._

The feeling must've been circulating between mother and daughter because Sara was terrified. Nick had left a few hours ago on a suspect retrieval and no one had heard from him since. This didn't worry many people, however, and they just went about their jobs. Only Sara, who had been left behind to wait for Catherine to come in with evidence, seemed to have noticed that he was gone at all. She tried his cell phone once more knowing full well that he had it turned off. She had to do something to keep her from going stir crazy. The red-blonde locks of Catherine Willows came into view and Sara jumped up. "It's one a.m., what took you so long?"

"Las Vegas never sleeps, my friend; traffic was terrible." Catherine seemed unaware of Sara's discomfort and headed straight away to start processing the evidence.

"Have you heard from Nick lately?" Sara asked.

"No, but he's out getting a suspect for Grissom's case isn't he?"

Sara nodded and this time Catherine recognized the silence for what it was.

"Sara, don't worry; these things sometimes take a long time. I'm sure he's fine. We would've heard if he wasn't."

"You're right. I don't know what my problem is."

"Sure you do. You love him and the fact that you don't know where he is at this very moment shakes you to your bones. I know the feeling."

"Oh do you?" Sara said, suddenly taking interest in her colleague's personal life.

Catherine chuckled. "Yes, I do, but we're not discussing that now, are we?"

Sara looked like she was ready to address this statement, but Catherine stopped her.

"Come on; we have some evidence to deal with. Shift's starting to smell like a double and I really want to keep it from being a triple if you don't mind."

* * *

Eight hours later Sara got a phone call. "Sidle."

"Hey Mom, I was just wondering when you and Dad were going to be home. We have like no food in the house and since I still don't have a car, I can't solve that problem."

"Lex, we'll get home when we get home. I'll probably make it before your father. I promise that as soon as I get there we'll go shopping. Now, I'm expecting a really important call, so call the lab if you need to talk to me. I'll be here the rest of shift, okay?"

"Fine. See you later." Lexi hung up and Sara could almost hear the eye roll.

Sara maneuvered through the rest of shift only half working. Catherine noticed but decided not to comment. Love worked in mysterious ways and Sara needed to figure this one out on her own. "Good news," Catherine said around ten-thirty snapping Sara from a trance, "we're done. We can go home now and bask in the glory that is being finished."

"I guess I'll see you tonight."

"That you will," Catherine answered and patted Sara on the back before heading to the locker room.

* * *

Sara walked into her house and was shocked by the first sight she saw. Lexi sat on the couch with her feet on the table, a remote and a dark glass bottle in her hand. She turned around quickly at the sight of her mother. "Lexi what on earth are you drinking?"

The girl stood up and showed Sara the label. "Relax, it's soda. How was work?"

"Busy."

"Where's Dad?"

"He had a tough case." _Not entirely lying, _she thought.

"Can we go, then?"

"Go where?"

"Shopping. You promised and I'm starving."

"You could've ordered out."

"With what money?"

"Alright, let's go."

They were halfway through making salads after their trip when Nick walked in the door looking beat. Lexi ran up and gave him a hug. "Hey, Daddy."

"Hello, sweetheart. What are you making?"

"Salads. Fresh, too."

"You want to make me one while I hit the shower?"

"Sure."

He gave a quick nod to Sara before heading to his room. She was sitting on his bed waiting for him when he exited the shower. "We need to talk."

"Okay, shoot." He walked over to his dresser and pulled out some jeans.

"Why didn't you call me today?"

"I don't know if you noticed, but I was a little bit preoccupied." He chose a shirt from the closet.

"I understand that, but did you stop to think that I was maybe worried about you?"

He went into the bathroom and yelled so she could hear him. "Why would you be worried about me?"

"You were gone all shift and no one had heard from you. You were doing a really dangerous thing. Getting a suspect is never easy."

"No, it's not. Sara, I was doing my job. I wasn't in danger. If there'd been a problem, I would've called you. You've got to trust that I can do my job."

"I do trust you. It's the other people I don't trust."

He came out of the bathroom with a big smile spread across his face. He squeezed her tight and gazed into her eyes. "You know, I bet that girl of ours has a wonderful salad for me and I'm so hungry I could eat a bear."

"Isn't the phrase 'I'm so hungry I could eat a horse'?"

"Yeah, but I like horses. I'd never eat them."

"But you'd eat a bear?"

"Before I'd eat a horse, yes."

* * *

**A/N: **Let me know what you thought. 


	26. Chapter 26

**Headliner**

Chapter 26

Lexi pressed on the brake and slowly came to a stop. She jumped out of the Denali and grabbed her bag from the back seat. She hugged her dad and thanked him over and over again for allowing her to drive the Denali to school. He smiled as she ran to catch up with some of her friends. He spun the key ring around his finger and began to whistle a country song. He grasped the door handle and paused. This was the very song he had been whistling just moments before he met Lexi. He smiled his big Texas smile as he drove home to get some sleep.

She twisted the dial on her locker as Katrinne and Courtney bickered over whose shoes (which were exactly the same) looked better. Lexi rolled her eyes at them. It was definitely school time again.

By lunch time she was about ready to strangle her friends. They'd moved on from arguing over their shoes and now saw it as time to argue over who had the better class schedule. Luckily she saw Luke from afar and rushed over to him. He showed off his pearly whites as she neared. "Luke! You've got to save me."

"What's the matter, Lex? Already late on your homework?"

"It's the first day of school, Luke. I don't have homework."

"I know. It was a joke. What's wrong?"

"Courtney and Katrinne are going to force me into a mental institution prematurely. First it was shoes, now it's schedules."

"Relax, I'll just call a couple of my friends over and we'll solve the problem."

Luke had the magic touch. He invited two of his friends (who Courtney and Katrinne just happened to have major crushes on) to join them for lunch and the fighting ceased.

He walked her home after school. He even carried her books, which she found quite amusing. "Luke, you really don't have to do that."

"It's the first day of school. You have like two books, let me do it."

"Alright." They strolled down the street hand in hand. They stopped at a Snow Shack about halfway home and bought shaved ice.

When they reached her house, he set her books on the wall. She smiled up at him. "You know your teeth are totally blue, your lips too," he said laughing.

"Well yours are extra red."

He kissed her.

Sara and Nick, who had just finished a movie, stared out the open window. Sara saw his face starting to turn red. "Nick, are you okay?"

"Yeah. Who is that?"

"That would be Luke, her boyfriend."

"Oh, her boy—her boyfriend?"

"Yeah." Sara watched Nick as he walked to his bedroom. He walked back out with his gun held firmly at hand. He had his hand around the knob when she knocked the gun out.

"Sara, what are you doing?"

"Keeping you from doing something you'll regret."

"What makes you think I'm going to regret this?" he asked bending over to get the gun.

She kicked it across the hall. "Nick, if you know what's best for you, get away from the door and don't try to get the gun."

"Sara, no offense or anything, but you're not the boss of me. This is my house and I'll do what I want."

"Yeah? You want to play that card? Fine. According to the law, Lexi is my kid and I say how people act around her. You take one step out that door and we're gone. And believe me, you embarrass her like that and she'll be happy to leave."

Nick dropped his arms in defeat. "How long has she been dating him?"

"About a couple months before she turned 16."

"She's been going out with this guy since February and I've never known about him until now?"

"He wasn't around when you were home. You know, I don't think she knows I know about him. His mom called one day and said he was going to treat her right or he was going to be in trouble."

He nodded and dashed for the gun just as she lunged at him. She caught him mid-stride and they hit the floor. He grabbed the gun but she smacked his arm against the coffee table and it flew across the room. He got up and she wrapped her arms around his legs, pulling him down.

Outside, Lexi heard the commotion and quickly unlocked the door. She and Luke peered in, their eyes widening at the sight of her parents rolling around on the floor. "Hey!" she yelled, "Could you guys stop now, please?"

Nick and Sara got up slowly and watched as Lexi's eyes found the gun on the rug.

"Would someone like to tell me what's going on here?"

"It's not what you think it is," Nick said.

"Well that's a relief."

Luke turned to his girlfriend, a look of shock spread across his face. "Maybe I should go."

Lexi showed him the door. "That's probably the safest option. See you tomorrow."

He handed her her books before going down the steps rather quickly.

"Now, seriously, what's going on?" she asked setting her books on the carpet.

"I was sleeping," Nick began after a moment's pause.

"And I came through the back door," Sara continued.

"I thought it was a burglar so I got my gun."

"And I saw the gun and thought _he_ was a burglar."

"We both attacked each other and realized it when you came in."

"Right," said Lexi, not believing them for a second. "Just try not to play 'burglar'" she said making air quotes, "when I'm going to be home." She tossed her parents a large eye roll before heading to her room.

"Phew, that was close," Nick stated.

"Yeah," Sara scoffed, "you're just lucky I went along with your little story."

"Lucky? I could've handled it on my own."

"Oh really? Well, then I'll just go tell her the truth and we'll see how well you handle that."

"You wouldn't dare."

"Watch me," she said moving toward Lexi's door.

Reenacting their earlier account, he lunged and knocked her over. He pinned her arms to her side as she struggled to get free. They heard a groan from down the hall.

"Okay, I have my cell phone; I'm going out. Call me when you're finished," Lexi said and stormed off.

Nick stood up and held out his hand. Sara took it reluctantly and he pulled her up. "We seem to be arguing a lot lately," he pointed out.

"Oh, you noticed it too?"

"Sara, you know, we've got to stop using certain things against each other."

"Like what?"

"The house and Lexi. It's not fair."

"Hey, you started it."

"I didn't say I didn't. I just said we've got to not use those. Neither of us can help the situation we're in."

"What do you mean 'situation?' If you think this a problem,"

He cut her off and ran his fingers through his hair, "This is really not going how I wanted it to. I didn't mean that in a bad way."

"Why don't you say what you mean, Nick?"

He took a deep breath and stared her square in the face. "I love you, Sara."

She seemed to lose the ability to function. "I, you, what?"

* * *

**A/N: **Get those fingers working and tell me your thoughts. 


	27. Chapter 27

**Headliner**

Chapter 27

"I said 'I love you.'" Nick said slowly.

Sara regained the use of her brain as the words sunk in. "I know; I heard you the first time."

"That's good. Do you have anything to say to me?"

Her mind was reeling. She knew that Catherine was right; she did love Nick. And now that she knew he loved her too she should have no problem telling him the truth. "Nick, I think I. No, I know that I love you too."

"I was hoping you'd say that. Now I've got to go call our daughter and bring her home. She and I've got to have a little chat about that boy of hers."

"Nick."

"Don't worry; I'm not going to bring the gun."

* * *

Life went on and Nick became more accustomed to the idea of Lexi dating. He had to be, of course, because whenever he met the young men, Sara sat right by his side with a firm grasp on his arm to keep him from lunging at them.

Together they crossed two major bridges. They sold Nick's house and bought one in both their names. Sara grinned wildly as Nick signed the papers and legally became Lexi's father. They celebrated the event with a fancy dinner. At seventeen, Lexi was becoming a young woman and it scared them both to death.

She was putting the leftovers into the fridge while Nick whispered into Sara's ear. "Do you believe that she has one more year with us and then she's off to college?"

"Don't remind me," Sara said, "Our baby's just about grown up. That reminds me, are you going to her show next week? We've got our very own Juliet."

"I wouldn't miss it for the world."

* * *

A year of pages ripped off the calendar fast and soon Lexi found herself standing in front of her mirror dressed in a blue cap and gown. Sara zipped up the back of the gown and stared into the glass at her daughter. Both found themselves with tears in their eyes. "You look good," Sara said wiping a drop away from her nose.

"I look like the other six hundred students are going to look."

"No, you look better. Plus, you're the valedictorian so you're more special."

"Mom, there are twenty-seven valedictorians."

"Yes, but out of those twenty-seven how many get to speak?"

"Just one."

"Exactly."

They saw a flash and turned to see Nick in the doorway with a camera. "I cannot believe that you are only a high schooler for two more hours."

"Me neither. These past three days without school have been so different. I really do have to get going though. They want us there early."

"Are you sure we can't hear your speech right now?" Sara asked.

"Hey, you'll hear it at graduation. I wouldn't want to ruin the fun."

"I bet your mom cries. Then she'd miss it."

"Tell you what," she said to Nick, "if she misses it, I'll tell you again later. Or I'll just let you read it."

Sara squeezed her daughter tight and Nick joined in. "We love you," she said against her hair.

"I love you both too, but I really, really have to go!"

They released her and she climbed into her truck and drove away. "Come on, Sara. We better head out too."

"Why? They don't even open the place for another hour."

"I know, but we've got to get more tissues."

"I've got a package in my purse."

"Yeah, for you. I'll need one of my own."

* * *

Nick and Sara climbed down the stairs and through the rows until they reached a section full of people dressed as cowboys. Nick raised his eyebrows at them. "You guys planned this didn't you?" he asked.

Darren stood up and slapped him on the back. "Hey, we all had to come for your kid's graduation. She knows she's a Texan at heart and we have to give her the proper greeting. Feel free to 'yeehaw' with us when they call her name."

"Oh, guys, no. That'll just embarrass her."

"I bet she can't hear down there anyway. Besides, she's eighteen. Nothing embarrasses her," Bill Stokes yelled.

"We'll see about that," Nick whispered to Sara and took his seat. A few moments later they were joined by Warrick, Catherine, Lindsey, Greg, and Grissom.

"You came!" Sara gushed.

"It was our number one priority," Warrick stated matter-of-factly.

The group chatted for awhile until the principal gave the signal that the ceremony was about to begin. As the arena quieted, he listed the people associated with the school. He then gave a quick greeting to the students and introduced the valedictorian, Alexis Nicole Sidle.

She walked gracefully to the podium and adjusted the microphone. She thanked the principal for allowing her to speak and started her speech.

"Eighteen years ago I was just a few weeks old. I couldn't do much except cry, but the possibilities for my future were endless. I lived in Massachusetts, the land of opportunity. At least, that's what students at Harvard will tell you. Fourteen years ago I was getting ready to start kindergarten in California. The chances for my life were still expansive, but my mother was pretty sure I wasn't going to be a dog whisperer. She turned out to be right. Eight years ago I moved to the state of Las Vegas with my mother. As a fifth grader I had goals. I wanted to be an astronaut and a lawyer and a surgeon. I had my whole life planned out. I knew that I was going to finish school, go to college, get married, have two point five kids and live in a house with a white picket fence. The fact that I couldn't really have half a kid didn't cross my mind. It was my plan and I was going to do it.

"Two years ago I was sixteen and still had amazing goals. I no longer wanted to be the astronaut or the lawyer or even the surgeon. I wasn't sure of my exact dream occupation, but I knew I wanted to be the best at whatever it was. I had my mother behind me, telling me I could do whatever I wanted. She never doubted me. Two years ago I got someone else. My father came into the picture and he too showered me with thoughts of my potential.

"One year ago I was ready to begin my senior year. I was ready to rule the school. I was ready to be the top dog. No one could get in my way. Last week I was ready to leave school. I knew I had accomplished the first thing in my series of goals. I had done my best in school and it paid off. I was proud of myself, as were my parents. Two hours ago I stood in front of a mirror in my bedroom, terrified of the future and yet looking forward to every minute.

"My eighteen years has taught me a lot of things. I learned perseverance. I learned to stick things out even when the going got tough. I learned how to be compassionate. I learned how to put my whole heart into whatever I was doing. I gained strength, both mentally and physically. I learned how to stick up for myself and be the person I truly wanted to be. These skills will stick with me for the rest of my life.

"All of us have learned a lot over these last thirteen years of school and four years of high school. We've learned how to love and how to lose gracefully. We've learned how to show pride to the utmost extent. We've learned how to avoid procrastination, some of us the hard way. These will all stay with us. As we look to the future, we can see that the world is wide open. There are signs everywhere just for us. There will be people pushing us along, hoping for the best, just like my parents did for me. As we continue on with our lives and move to accomplish great things we will stare straight to the future, but we will not forget the past. The past has taught us so much and will continue to do so. Friends, family, thank you for being there for us. We are eternally grateful. With few last words, I address my classmates directly. Go for it. You can do anything you set your mind to. It has been an amazing journey and it's only beginning. Trust your heart and your mind. Thank you. I love you Mom. I love you Dad."

Clapping ensued as she took the few steps to the ground and sat with the rest of her class. In the stands boxes of Kleenex were passed around as none, not even Grissom, still held a dry eye. A few representatives from the administration spoke and it was then time to present the graduating class. The valedictorians were called first in alphabetical order.

"Scott Michael Allen. Paige Michelle Andrews. Todd Aaron Baker."

Sara, the Stokes family, and the lab folks stared down into the crowd to see if they could pick out Lexi amongst the valedictorians.

"Katrinne Elizabeth Davis. Ryan Matthew Enders. Lauren Nichole Grapner."

One of Nick's nieces spotted her and they all pulled out binoculars to get a closer look.

"Courtney Ann Huxley. Hailey Rochelle Johnson. Rachel Marie Lewis."

At last it was her turn.

"Catherine Sue Richardson. Alexis Nicole Sidle." Loud cheers and yeehaws could be heard from the section of the bleachers that held her family, but to Lexi there was nothing. Cameras went off as they tried to capture a digital image of her receiving the piece of paper that was meant to signify her diploma. The principal finished with the valedictorians and moved onto the rest of the class.

* * *

Over forty people stood on a patch of grass waiting for her to get her real diploma and come greet them. The crowd was immense and uncles stood on tiptoes trying to pick her out. A few of the cousins had panned out in search of her. Finally, Katie and Linley Hutchins, who had just graduated in Texas themselves, came to the group pulling Lexi by the arm. More cheers and yeehaws followed. Sara and Nick pushed through to see their daughter.

"You did it, baby. You did it," Sara said and held Lexi tight.

"Thanks Mom. For everything." Both began to get teary and parted before anyone else noticed.

"Dad, it's been the best two years of my life," she said and held out her hand.

"Come here, you," he shouted over the roars of the crowd and embraced her.

When she was released, she walked around through all of her various family members and showed off her diploma. She gave out hugs and kisses and when she thought she couldn't stand it any more, her eyes fell on the group from the Las Vegas Crime Lab. She ran over and gave Greg a big hug. "I can't believe you came!"

"Oh come on. Did you honestly think I'd miss this?"

She shook her head and hugged him once more before continuing on to Catherine, Warrick, and Lindsey. She thanked each of them for coming and turned at last to Grissom. She put on a serious face and stared him in the eye. "Grissom, you've been good to me and to my parents. Thanks for everything, and try to keep an eye on them when I can't be there."

"No problem," he said and gave her his hand. She shook it and he pulled her in for a quick hug.

* * *

"Speech! Speech! Speech!" they shouted. Lexi jumped onto the table in the party room of a local pizza joint and raised her hands.

"Okay, okay, I'll talk." Her family silenced except for a few kids who were scolded by their mothers and shushed soon after. "First off, I would like to say that this gown is really hot. And I don't mean in the way that blue is a good color. I'm roasting." Sara helped her unzip it and Lexi shifted back towards her family. "Thanks so much, all of you. My entire being is made up of little parts of each of you. You are all inspirations and I will carry the memories of our times together with me forever. Don't think I'm going away forever, of course. I still expect you to have a couch available for me when I run out of money." Laughter bubbled up from the onlookers and she got down just in time for dinner to be served.

Partway through the meal Nick took hold of Sara's hand and dragged her out into the hallway. He smiled and a look of confusion sprouted on her face. He smiled even brighter. "Sara, our kid is going to college. We've had a great two years with her and I'm sure she'll be a wonderful woman. She's going to make us proud. You've spent eighteen years, and I've spent the last two, living for her twenty-four/seven. I think it's time to do a little something for us." She raised her eyebrow and he got down on one knee and pulled a small box out of the pocket of his jeans. "Sara Sidle, I love you so much. You've made the past eight years a joy and I'm sorry I didn't realize it sooner." He snapped open the box to reveal a diamond ring. "Will you do me the honor of marrying me?"

Tears flowed down her cheeks as she nodded. He placed the ring on her finger and she giggled through the moisture. "Yes, Nick, I would love to marry you." He wiped the tears from her face and kissed her.

"Come on Sar, let's go tell them."

"Now?"

"When else are my entire family plus everyone we care about from the lab going to be in the same room?"

"Probably never."

"Exactly. Let's go." They strolled back into the party room as carefree as possible. He called for attention, but no one seemed to hear. Sara got an idea remembering Lexi's speech. She took his hand and pulled him on a table.

"Okay, now yell."

"I hate to take away from Lexi, but I have an announcement to make. Sara and I," he paused to make sure he had everyone's eyes staring straight at him. He found Lexi and grinned. "We're getting married."

People clapped and cheered, but probably the most enthusiastic response came from Lexi. As soon as Nick had Sara off the table they were hit full-on by an eighteen-year-old girl. She jumped up and down and squeezed them tight. "This is the best graduation present anyone could have ever given me! Thank you! How long have you been planning this?"

Nick checked his watch. "Oh, about two minutes ago."

She squealed and hugged them again.

All around the room Nick's family spoke of the engagement. "I can't believe Nicky actually got the girl!" some said. Others chose "Hey, now everyone will really believe Lexi is his kid." Nick's father said, "It should've happened a long time ago, but I'm glad they've finally gotten things straightened out."

Catherine congratulated them with a promise to help out with the wedding and Lindsey promised to keep her from going overboard. Warrick promised a bachelor party and Greg piped in saying how now his chance with Sara was nonexistent. He promised to stop flirting with her, which Nick made him swear to appreciatively. Grissom didn't let his turn slide by and he promised each of them a good vacation when it came time for the honeymoon.

Greg had run off to find a CD player and it soon became obvious that he was successful. Music began blasting through the room. "I'm told this is how Lexi likes to listen to her tunes," he received a mock glare and smiled, "Let's party!"

* * *

**A/N: **There you are. They've finally got it figured out. Tell me your thoughts. 


	28. Chapter 28

**Headliner**

Chapter 28

Lexi stood next to her mother in a soft pink gown. Her hair was pulled back and dotted with bobby pins decorated to look like flowers. Sara was all smiles. Her white dress danced on the floor. The veil tickled her nose. She turned to face Lexi and handed her the bouquet.

Lexi felt tears form in her eyes as the sermon began. It was utterly beautiful. The church was packed. One side held Nick's entire family from Texas. It was rather large. She grinned. It was now going to officially become her family too. The other side was crammed with various members of Las Vegas law enforcement. Anyone who knew Sara or Nick professionally was there. Even Ecklie had managed to grab a seat at the back.

The pastor spoke eloquently and Lexi cried even more. She couldn't believe her parents were actually getting married. She glanced in the crowd and saw Courtney seated in the front row. She gave her friend a subtle thumbs up and received one in return. This, she thought, is truly what life is about. The giving of the rings was her favorite part of the ceremony. She had helped pick out the bands and the inscription. It made her smile just thinking about it. _To my one love, forever. _Lexi had decided that when she got married she wanted that inscription as well. It just seemed to fit.

The man said, "You may kiss the bride," and everyone started cheering. Sara grasped Nick's hand and they strolled off together, Lexi trailing behind. They stopped midway and turned around. Nick grabbed her by the waist and pulled her towards them. Both Sara and Nick planted large kisses on her cheek. Lexi burst out laughing.

The reception was just as grand. Sara turned to throw the bouquet. Women crowded all around behind her. She released it and the flowers flew from her hands. Catherine caught it where she stood. The cameraman snapped a perfect shot of Catherine grinning madly in Warrick's direction. Lexi sat with Lindsey at a table.

"Hey, did you ever tell your parents about us being the sole reason they got together?" Lindsey asked.

"You mean the night I ran away? Oh yeah, I told them."

"When?"

"About a month ago," Lexi said wrinkling her nose.

Lindsey laughed. "What took you so long?"

"Well, I had to make sure I was over eighteen and out of the house so they couldn't really punish me. I also figured them getting married was a better occasion to tell them than just moving in together."

"We're miracle workers."

"That we are," Lexi said and clinked her glass against Lindsey's. "Cheers."

Nick pulled Sara by the arm and took her to the cake. They linked arms and fed each other. Then it was time for everyone to eat. The party ended around midnight. Lexi kissed both of her parents before walking to her car barefoot. High heels had never been her favorite shoe. Tonight was no exception.

She drove home and collapsed into bed. It had certainly been an exciting day. Tomorrow will be better, she thought. Sara and Nick weren't leaving on their honeymoon for another couple of days, and Lexi had a perfect going away present for them.

* * *

The sun rose at six the next morning. The weatherman on the radio called for a sunny day. Everything was going to be perfect. Alexis showered and dressed in jean capris and a t-shirt. She climbed in her car and drove to the county clerk's office. She stepped up to the counter. The receptionist was a stout looking woman with frizzy red hair. From the sound of her voice, she had been a heavy smoker for at least thirty years. 

"Hi, I'd like to request a name change," said Lexi smiling brightly.

* * *

She drove the car while her parents sat blindfolded in the back seat. She made it just on time. Nick and Sara would have to sit in the back of the auditorium and wait for awhile, but she knew it would be worth it. She helped each one out of the car and stood them on the sidewalk. She tugged on the knots at the back of their heads. The blindfolds floated to the ground. They looked up at the flashing lights. 

Las Vegas Theatre Presents: FABULOUS!

Starring: ALEXIS STOKES

"You did it," said Sara, "You're a headliner."

Lexi's smile was wider than Grand Canyon. She closed her eyes and thanked every one of the stars she had ever wished on. Her dream had finally come true.

**The End

* * *

**

**A/N: **Alas, we have reached the end. First, I must admit that I've had this chapter written for a long time. I could barely contain my excitement as I finally posted it. I hope the title makes sense now, too. It's definitely been a fun ride. Thanks to all of my reviewers. You guys are the best and certainly kept me wanting to write. I sign off now, saying that I'm definitely not done writing, so be on the look-out for other stories, and asking you one last time to let me know what you thought. Thanks so much, Kelli.


End file.
